The QTS Debate
“So, is it a good idea to remove the requirement for QTS to be acquired eventually by all teachers? No, it isn’t. In my view, it’s a terrible idea that will have serious long-term consequences.” Tom Sherrington looks at the current debate on qualified teacher status.
Best frontline blogs this week
Here’s our list of ten frontline blogs we’ve particularly liked from the week of 28th October 2013 – from unqualified teachers to housing, disability policy and mental health.
Is Michael Gove lying to us all?
“You mentioned before, your intention to give teachers more freedom and autonomy. It’s certainly getting no better for me, no matter what you say.” Cazzypots wonders why teaching is increasingly dictated by ‘improvement’ fads - and where is Michael Gove in all this.
Frontline Friday 4th October 2013: Our favourite frontline blogs this week
Here’s our list of ten frontline blogs we’ve particularly liked from the week of 30th September 2013 – from welfare reform and legal aid, to the Conservative Party conference and the Daily Mail.
It’s because I agree with Gove about the curriculum that I disagree with him about pay and conditions
“A lot of the comments on why people are striking leave me cold. Too many people on too many hobby horses. Too many people complaining that Gove hates teachers or that opposing the education establishment is indefensible…” Andrew Old sets out his views on this week’s teachers’ strike.
Frontline Friday 27th September 2013: Our favourite frontline blogs this week
Here’s our list of ten frontline blogs we’ve particularly liked from the week of 23rd September 2013 – from local authority cuts, supporting families to the bedroom tax and Labour Party conference.
Frontline Friday 20th September 2013: Our favourite frontline blogs this week
Here’s our list of ten frontline blogs we’ve particularly liked from the week of 16th September 2013 – from the question of what are the Lib Dems for, to education and welfare reform, and the outsourcing of probation services.
Frontline Friday 13th September 2013: Our favourite frontline blogs this week
Here’s our list of ten frontline blogs we’ve particularly liked from the week of 2nd September 2013 – from welfare reform and the real Chris Grayling to outsourcing of public services and teaching in schools.
Empowered and free? Not me, Mr Gove!
“Michael Gove delivered a speech at The Policy Exchange, London yesterday (5th September), in which he championed both teachers and teaching. For a short while afterwards I felt a nice, warm glow of something approaching relief.” cazzypot points out the differences between the rhetoric and reality of the Coalition’s plans to empower teachers.
Frontline Friday 16th August 2013: Our favourite frontline blogs this week
Here’s our list of ten frontline blogs we’ve particularly liked from the week of 5th August 2013 - from Channel 4′s much criticised Benefits Britain programme, to the outsourcing of public services.
The case against Michael Gove
“Where I think Gove is fundamentally wrong is on workplace issues. I do not see any appreciation of the difference between management and frontline staff.” Andrew Old pinpoints the problem with Michael Gove’s approach to education.
Kids are failed by The System, not their genes
I have argued before that the usual left/right distinctions can be meaningless in education. Instead of a left/right spectrum I preferred this 2-dimensional version [below] which separates the issues of what should be taught (the content axis) and who it should be taught to (the entitlement axis). Lazy thinking (shown by those who look only at […]
Gove - not all wrong
This was supposed to be a Festival of Education post, but that festival was a few weeks ago and now we’ve had a new national curriculum published, it all seems out of date. However, I thought I’d use my notes from the festival as a base, or as a spur, to try and articulate what […]
Frontline Friday 5th July 2013: Our favourite frontline blogs this week
Here’s our list of ten frontline blogs we’ve particularly liked from the week of 1st July 2013. Let us know which posts we’ve missed and which other bloggers we should be following for next week’s list.
Gove - a price worth paying?
Michael Gove. Elicits strong reactions that name. From both hysterical anti-reform types as well from uncritical disciples of the #cultofGove My own reaction? More a shrug of the shoulders with the odd outburst thrown in. He’s a mixed legacy. And I suspect history will judge him the same. His greatest success has been in convincing […]
When is a free school not a free school? When it’s a parent academy
Stephen Twigg’s speech this week was long overdue. Labour have been woefully quiet on education policy, despite Michael Gove’s high profile and contentious policy agenda. It was a first chance to hear how Labour plans to position itself on education at the next election and, though lots of questions remain, there were some interesting ideas to […]
Whatever happened to open government and open policy? A scorecard
After being elected Prime Minister in 2010 David Cameron committed the UK to having “the most open and transparent government in the world.” Here’s a brief - inevitably partial and contestable - ‘scorecard’ on the Government’s progress.
I felt a great disturbance in the internet yesterday
[For context, this post from Andrew Old is best read with his previous post - Why I Blog Anonymously] There was an interesting response to my blogpost yesterday. It may have been a side effect of the bank holiday but it got the level of hits usually reserved for posts about OFSTED, most coming from Twitter where there was […]
Frontline Friday 24th May 2013: Our favourite frontline blogs this week
Here’s our list of ten frontline blogs we’ve particularly liked from the week of 20th May 2013. Let us know which posts we’ve missed and which other bloggers we should be following for next week’s list.
The Government should listen to teachers. And by “teachers”, I mean “me”
Gove mentioned me again. Last week, in this debate with one of my political heroes, Lord Glasman, he said: It is also the case as well, that even though there are people within the teaching unions who have a range of views about the reforms we are making, it is also the case that increasingly teachers are […]