Best for everyone

Best for everyone  (Economist 24/11/07)

“The contradiction at the heart of Mr Blair’s reforms was always the absurdity of removing the dead hand of local government, only to impose an even tighter grip from the centre. Over the past decade schools have been showered with directives on everything from school meals to classroom layout. Syllabuses and teaching methods have been specified narrowly. Although academies can ignore their local councils, to set one up requires approval by the schools department in Whitehall. Centrally imposed targets have distorted both what is taught and measuring how well it is taught.”

Welsh schools rebel against mergers

Welsh schools rebel against mergers (PF 3/11/06)

Gwynedd Council wants to merge some schools and link others in federations to cut costs. Links to pre-seen: mergers to cuts costs are always unpopular; top-down mergers are often less successful than bottom-up.

Made to measure, by Tash Shifrin

Made to measure, by Tash Shifrin (PF 26/10/07)

Brown emphasises personalised services over choice. Choice demands diversity, but personalisation does not necessarily, opening the door to increased re-aggregation.

Governors’ inspection

Governors’ inspection (GU 30/10/07)

School governors and failing schools.

Consumer campaigner targets teenagers

Consumer campaigner targets teenagers (GU 1/11/07)

Proposals to teach financial awareness in schools much more practically.

Qualified to differentiate

Qualified to differentiate (Guardian 25/10/07)

New diplomas in schools. Confusion about what they are and what the purpose is.

Academy schools cost up to £7m more

Academy schools cost up to £7m more (PF 19/10/07)

Academy schools constructions costs too much. Lack of cost control, says PAC. Meanwhile, literacy & numeracy standards in Academies are below average. Another example of disaggregation going wrong.

Important part of innovation is weeding out bad ideas early – public sector not good at this.

News analysis – Future teaching to be up close and personalised

News analysis – Future teaching to be up close and personalised (PF 12/1/07)

2020 Vision Report

Ethical issues – when you look at average attainment, you are ignoring a tail of under-achievement. The Government wants to be more individual on moral grounds.

Marketing mix:

Product – personalised rather than generalised education

Price – proposals have not been costed, and could come to nothing is not backed up by funding.

People – teachers to become more professional again: relax target restrictions on them and a more flexible National Curriculum.

Process – teachers to identify pupils not making progress and make progress plans.

Emphasis on professional standards and schools formulating their own strategies – disaggregation. But whole concept of National Curriculum is opposite.

Personal questions

Personal questions (PF 12/1/07)

Affordability of personalised services. Socially divisive and limited by personal means.

Balls starts his education in 21st century schooling

Balls starts his education in 21st century schooling (PF 20/7/07)

The new national curriculum is more flexible, allowing more freedom for teachers to innovate.