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Original poster

Teachers who like Gove

160 replies

Skippersocks · 19/10/2013 22:06

.....any teachers out there??? I have never seen a single post of support for him. It would be interesting to see if there are any and to hear some counter arguments.

OP posts:
Talkinpeace · 22/10/2013 20:53

Also, if Free Schools and Academies will not be required to follow the National Curriculum, why has Gove spent so much time fiddling with it?

Or does he know something you do not?

soul2000 · 22/10/2013 20:56

bread. thanks for that information . I have to say i don't remember as an
education secretary, it s just someone early said she was.

As for the middle class tory voters , well most of my family and extended
family including me have voted tory all our lives. all i can say about
Gove is that he is a "ZEALOT" and probably is losing many floating voters.

I have said i think his sudden change to Gcse's in the middle of the course
is disgraceful.All that hard work in terms of coursework thrown in the bin .
As for the genetics rubbish, some people might struggle at school but
achieve great things later in life. in a previous post i have told a story about
a close friend who was labeled a"DUMMY" at school an incapable of achieving nothing who is now a chemistry teacher with a masters.

Gove and Cummings though would say it was genetics because her sister is an Oxford Educated Barrister.

soul2000 · 22/10/2013 20:57

Incapable of achieving anything academic...

OddSins · 22/10/2013 21:04

I don't support the policy of a National Curriculum being applied to every pupil and school, and therefore agree with you there is inconsistency. However, I can understand why basic minimum standards are used by governments as the outcomes are so variable between schools and our international rating seems to be in free fall .

But that imposition is not the issue, if you are not happy with a NC as a parent you are beginning to have a choice. I know that is a dirty word in this post but it isn't for parents who are choosing these schools. You may believe they are misguided but they make these choices based on their own beliefs and experience and I for one fully endorse their ability to choose.

My preference would be to release all successful schools from the constraints of an NC but dip into it where it is felt to benefit their school community.

OddSins · 22/10/2013 21:15

Still over 300 in special measures. Is it more or less, I cannot find anymore up to date information? Is this relevant?

What is your issue with Free Schools?

Talkinpeace · 22/10/2013 21:16

they make these choices based on their own beliefs
beliefs have no place in setting education policy. It should be based on evidence.
Gove rejects evidence even when it comes from his chums.

Oddsins How old are your kids?

My preference would be to release all successful schools from the constraints of an NC
What happens when schools stop being successful : all things are cyclical

OddSins · 22/10/2013 21:44

Talkinpeace

Completely disagree. If you wait for the positive evidence, you have missed the boat. That takes 10-20 years.

Public policy is rarely evidence-based. Negative evidence has been conveniently ignored for a generation on the comprehensive system which has essentially been a scientific experiment that has proven the reverse of what was proposed. Policy responds to perceived concerns not a scientifically proven thesis. The state has to give up second guessing what parents want for their children and allow them their own beleifs as it has no evidence what is best for their children.

Am going to move over to the other thread on 'unqualified' teachers; as you will not be too surprised to hear I fully support choice of teachers based on life experience, knowledge, empathy not just the presence of a teaching qualification in a new graduate.

pointyfangs · 22/10/2013 21:48

The big issue I have with Free Schools is 1) the lack of oversight (Pimlico, Al Madinah) and 2) the fact that my taxes are paying for these schools to be set up in areas where no school places are needed. Beccles is a case in point - two good schools with places, so they set up a Free School there, in a nice easy middle class area where they can poach nice teachable kids and claim lots of success. Meanwhile in West Ipswich there's a shortage of school places - but that's not such a leafy area so no easy pickings there. Guess what? No Free School.

All children have a right to a good education, but local authorities aren't allowed to create new schools which are not Free Schools or Academies. That's stacking the odds against the children who need the most help, and that is morally wrong.

Talkinpeace · 22/10/2013 21:49

Oddsins
How old are your kids?
Have you been a school governor or had any day to day involvement with schools?

Endofmyfeather · 23/10/2013 00:42

"I'm going to move over to the other thread on 'unqualified' teachers; as you will not be too surprised to hear I fully support choice of teachers based on life experience, knowledge, empathy not just the presence of a teaching qualification in a new graduate."

Since when has empathy alone made a good teacher? The point is, to be a good teacher, you should have life experience AND knowledge AND empathy AND a teaching qualification. And life experience is all well and good, but how exactly does it contribute to the quality of teaching? I'd be interested to see evidence of the correlation between life experience and the quality of, for example, a Year 1 teacher's teaching.

There are many aspects that we learned in my teacher training which are quite apart from life experience, knowledge or empathy (they're considered the pre-requisites!) and are everything to do with the technical aspects of 'getting the job done'. Child protection requirements, legal obligations, assessment practices, child development psychology and pedagogical best practice.

This uninformed attitude makes me cross.

soul2000 · 23/10/2013 11:48

Chris Woodhead, Katherine Birbalsingh.....

There you go, iv'e found two HA HA HA.....

float62 · 23/10/2013 23:04

Well done Oddsins for at least trying to point out to absolutely every other poster on this thread that there may be some merit to Mr Gove's policies. What shocks me the most is the language used by teaching staff in particular in their descriptions of another professional human being doing his job, which is probably far harder than a teacher's job, carrying far more responsibility and for not much more pay than a member of SLT in a large school. Teachers were unhappy with their situations before Mr Gove, the system of education in this country is clearly not working as it is now and when someone comes along that tries to improve things through change, he is derided and insulted in thoroughly unprofessional and indeed childish ways. For so many people to actually hate so much, including apparently children who can only have reached this level of hatred through a drip feed of information from others, is tantamount to mob behaviour. What teachers need to remind themselves of is the results of the TES survey that found that the greatest source of their unhappiness was in fact other teachers. How easy to focus the blame for this elsewhere - now I'm flouncing off to bed too tired from working late too to stay up and face the flak.

rabbitstew · 23/10/2013 23:16

Yes, poor old Michael Gove - he never insults others in thoroughly unprofessional or indeed childish ways. There is nothing of the mob about Michael Gove. Grin

justmuddlingalongsomehow · 24/10/2013 19:20

Float62 have you read any of the reports about how he treats his advisers?!!

SatinSandals · 24/10/2013 19:25

If so many people say one thing float62 you can be sure they have a point. They hate seeing what is being done to our children.

MillyDLA · 11/05/2014 17:26

Oh I so want to reanimate it, especially in the current climate of 'free school' news!

Gove needs to be removed before our children are left with nothing.

nobodysbabynow · 11/05/2014 20:59

Good on you Millie, has everyone seen today's news that Gove has taken 400 million from the Basic Needs budget - meant to ensure that there are enough school places for all children - and siphoned it off for free schools? That money would have ben enough for 30,000 school places if given to LEAs. The fact that someone leaked this suggests that even those who work for him have realised that he needs to be stopped.

icecreamsoup · 11/05/2014 21:15

nobody, MillyDLA has started a thread about it here.

nobodysbabynow · 11/05/2014 21:30

Just seen it, ta.

Justtoobad · 12/05/2014 18:45

Can we rearrange the letters of Michael Gove into something funny (I hate him)

rabbitstew · 12/05/2014 22:41

Go cleave him? Grin

lionheart · 12/05/2014 22:50

HA.

cotwatcher · 13/05/2014 16:55

I like his policies and I think freeing schools from the clutches of LAs can only be a good thing. I know many parents who think his policies are good for their children's education.
The trouble is we have too many left wing teachers (and LAs) who want the system to revolve around them not the children. They are aided by the left wing press, ie the Guardian
In fact, now I think about it I know teachers who admit his policies are good but there is no way they will post on here because they will be shot down

lionheart · 13/05/2014 18:53

I think any teacher with an ounce of sense will know they can post freely on here and expect a decent debate to follow.

Even the non-Guardian, non-lefty amonst them.

ravenAK · 13/05/2014 18:57

Hi Sarah - nice to see you again. Daily Mail column not keeping you busy these days?