to ban Christmas plays, time for making decorations and story time at primary school?

[HollyMiamiFLA]

Because it's wasting valuable learning time. All that time spent rehearsing for a 15 minute play. Preparing decorations for the classroom which then got removed. Sitting on a carpet listening to a story. It's all learning time that they are wasting.

From Michael Gove

9/12....

I was amused but yes it goes to show how many people wouldn't be shocked if he did make this statement...

11/12 (would have been twelve but I took the advice of DH).

I worry if Michael Gove was loved enough. His comments are bordering on Dickensian / League of Gentlemen character.

I don't get it?
If he hasn't said it - why say that he has?

11/12 brilliant quiz though.

Meh - a joke.
I'm no fan of the guy but what a stupid OP!

Exactly DamnBamboo

But, apparently, it's a joke and we have 'no sense of humour'. Oh yes, and 'FFS'.

Puzzling.

Think of it as a thread to help Gove see what people think of a policy he might be thinking of.

Not that Gove has ever thought of a policy, announced it, seen the reaction and reversed it.

Ever.

But you do realise a school did ban Christmas at school because OFSTED were coming, schools do limit storytime because it prevents learning time and many schools don't do decorations because it takes up learning time.

Some schools don't do plays or fun things because they're not educational.

So it is happening. Just not official policy. Yet.

But Gove wouldn't go that far?

Would he?

I am increasingly of the opinion that Michael Gove himself is, in fact, a reverse AIBU.

I wonder if Asian schools spend so much time on activities like school plays, rehearsals etc - or do they make the most of the school day.

Gove is very keen to emulate them so what they do - I am sure we will have to do soon.

Dear children,

Have you seen the Blob? It's in your school. But with my help, we will kill it.

Michael.

I think I'm only slightly paraphrasing his Blob reference.

The blob

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-26008962

I found a clip of him giving his honest views about

While you're at it Mr Gove, please bring in more testing for small children as I don't feel they are currently tested nearly enough. For example this week my four year old had to sit through a handwriting test (apparently it took most of the morning to shepherd the whole class through the test - this is good, they might have otherwise wasted that time with some actual learning). He failed the test as he forms his lowercase t's and s's "incorrectly". With his t's he draws the - part and then adds the l to make a t. With s he starts from the bottom left and draws it upwards rather than starting from the top right and drawing it downwards.

This is obviously a direct result of my slack parenting and his teacher has sent extra homework sheets home this weekend, the sheets are basically dotty outlines of s and t that he has to trace over and over again until it sinks into his little four year old head that it doesn't matter that his s and t's are perfectly legible, he is forming them incorrectly and will therefore never amount to anything and will end up on the dole staring at his 567" TV while drinking Super Brew at 10am because employers only want people who can draw t and s in the accepted right-way-of-doing-it.

So yes, more tests please. In fact, handwriting should be tested daily and if it ain't right then fine the feckless parents who are jeopardising their child's future by not enforcing good handwriting.

DC's school effectively cancelled Christmas for KS2 following a truly disastrous set of SATS the term before. Actually I think they were probably right to do so.

Our school which is offically inadequate cancelled christmas parties and school plays for year 1 and upwards. Clearly year 1 were on santa's naughty list for not knowing their phonics.

"So yes, more tests please. In fact, handwriting should be tested daily and if it ain't right then fine the feckless parents who are jeopardising their child's future by not enforcing good handwriting."

Prehaps health visitors will be trained in spotting slack handwriting in two year olds!

I asked 2yo DD to write her name today. She just looked at me blankly, did a scribble and then claimed it was a picture of a snowman. She's doomed.