Mumsnet Talk

The government announce their children's plan today, proposing: individual mentors for secondary children; an overhaul of SATs and league tables; free nursery care for disadvantaged two year olds; money for holidays for disabled teenagers; and an inquiry into the commercialisation of childhood. Will it make a real difference to children lives?

blimey anything else? tbh i think the government should butt out of schools and leave the big decisions to the heads.

give them the money to sort out problems, they know what needs doing more that the government.

"Individual mentors" won't be extra staff - it means each child is assigned to one of the teachers who will then have to be in almost constant touch with the parents, according to the report in the Guardian.

That'll leave lots of time for teaching then

Well OK, I'm exaggerating but the report says:

<<Teachers will be asked to keep regular email contact with parents to inform them of their child's progress instead of annual parent meetings and report cards.>>

Guardian

"<<Teachers will be asked to keep regular email contact with parents to inform them of their child's progress instead of annual parent meetings and report cards.>>"

Oh oh oh.... I can't wait. Are DS's teachers getting e-mail???

This is a stupid idea which will cost loads of money that should be spent on educating our kids. I mean, it's a school. Education is what they do.

Totally agree, Southeast Astra. The heads are far better qualified to make these decisions.

On Labours past record I would say it will all have a negative effect on children. The more money they spend the worse the results. I don't just think that the govt should butt out of schools, they should butt out of our lives entirely.

This Children's Plan is apparently a ten-year plan. Does anyone think Labour will last another ten years?

bloody micro-management hasn't worked so far, but hey, there's always a first time, eh?

They're going to "re-draw the boundaries between school and home"

oh-oh. That sounds ominous.

Did anyone hear Oliver James on the radio on PM about this? He was fab!

email contact rather than parents evenings would be a good thing, actually. Parents evenings are a total nightmare. I have got an email from ds2's teacher at this moment, its a far more effective way to communicate. She writes when she has something to say and I do the same.

God, dragging them into the technological age is going to be a fight. When I suggest communicating by e-mail everyone has a fit of the vapours and look at me as if I'm suggesting communicating by inter-galactic zapping or something.

e-mail contact may well be a good idea, but it's not going to solve the problem that the parents that come to parents' evening are the ones you don't need to see.

I mean sure, it's great to meet the parents of nice, hard-working kids that are doing well and tell them about how their children are getting along and see if they have any concerns. But the parents you really NEED to see, the ones where you have concerns are the ones that tend not to show up.

even better, get rid of stupid little bits ofp paper delivered by 5 yr olds, and post everasthimg on the school website.

"God, dragging them into the technological age is going to be a fight."

Well, if that's what the teachers are like at your school it's a fight well worth having.

Most of it sound complete bollocks imo.

Is there anything good in it?

haven't seen anything yet apart from modern language of course but as that is at the expense of 'clutter' and I rather like clutter if it means art, drama, music, playing, socialising, more playing, sport, science, history, geography etc

Yes ... I'm a big fan of the "clutter" too. Ds1's school actually has a very slightly longer day (only by about 15 mins) than some of the longer established schools nearby because they wanted to add more creativity and fun and still have enough time for core curriculum.

Hate all this interfering - can't they just leave it alone for a bit and let the changes they've already MADE settle for a bit? The poor teachers...

Yes I suspect htat this bunch of philistine will see all those things as clutter, curmudgeonlett.

Honestly about once a week I shake my head and say "no wonder the home education movement is growing"

There's some really important points included for those kids with SEN. A review of provision for a start, long overdue.

All the kids here (Wales) do a second language from day one, its known to be excellent for developing general liguistic skills and they like doing it. So I don't see that as a problem either.

Minimum intevention assessments to replace SAt's- like that a lot.

Supposedly something about mroe access to dyslexia programs as well- DS2 and ds1 both on the waiting list atm for the next course here..... September 2008.

More playgrounds (they haev admitted some rebuilt) is a good things surely?

can obv see isues with the stuff about teachers providing 1-1 mentoring (though have worked as a student mentor and although teachers couldnt do it imo, its very successfula sa wider scheme).

The reports are to be held in the format of aprent held cards- much like the ones you get when PG I guess. When a child develops isues ors truggles thats a good thing. As is the paln to expand bullying support as well, surely?

The clutter- can see that, but te kids here all get access to music classes, choir etc as well as the language. So it can be done, somehow. Admittedly tehre's no show and tell any mroe or anything like that though.