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Original poster

Chris Woodhead - have read the article in the Sunday Times

64 replies

stillenacht · 03/05/2009 21:00

Of course i do feel very sorry for having such an awful diagnosis as MND. Its just dreadful. However, I have just read how his educational opinions have been formulated over the years and they seem to be very grammar school led and based entirely on his own educational experience. Surely in the position of power that he had at OFSTED he had to be a little more boradminded than that. (I started my teaching career when Chris Woodhead tool over as Chief Inspector)....i just felt a little uncomfortable reading his views.

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Original poster
stillenacht · 03/05/2009 21:00

broadminded not boratminded even

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Original poster
stillenacht · 03/05/2009 21:01

took over too

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breadandroses · 03/05/2009 21:01

link pls

Original poster
stillenacht · 03/05/2009 21:04

okdoke

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Original poster
stillenacht · 03/05/2009 21:07

here

I do agree with some of what he says though. Its just the shoot the teachers down in flames attitude i have a problem with.

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Original poster
stillenacht · 03/05/2009 21:09

actually though that doesn't have the extract from his book which is what i am refering to - will try and find it

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MrsMattie · 03/05/2009 21:09

He is one of those people who have me shouting at the paper/TV whenever he appears. I disagree with him on almost everything, always. He seems to actively dislike teachers.

I had no idea he had MND, though. How dreadful

Original poster
stillenacht · 03/05/2009 21:11

here again

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Heated · 03/05/2009 21:18

Have met him. Very tall. Shortly before the furore in the press re his relationship with a 6th form student.

My Head deliberately roomed us at short notice into a IT Room full of swish new gadgets she wanted to show off, only for Woodhead to say dismissively, "Is this English, or IT?" Head was not happy. He almost had a point...except pupils were producing a media text based on weeks of pre-production had he but cared to look or just talked to the students.

Sometimes he made valid points. Other times he infuriatingly didn't understand the realities of education at all. Sorry to hear of anyone with this cruel disease.

Original poster
stillenacht · 03/05/2009 21:21

Yes, thats it. From his words his idea/vision of education seems firmly fixed in the education of my parents (who also went to grammar school in south london in the early-mid 60's) Hasn't the world of education moved since then for him?

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ravenAK · 03/05/2009 21:33

I have a sneaking admiration for him.

He's absolutely right about the non-subjects & the extent to which teachers are expected to enthusiastically 'espouse the latest modernising fad'.

The vouchers thing is a nonsense though.

Sorry to hear of his MND.

pearlsbeforeswine · 03/05/2009 21:39

I dont get the feeling he disliked teachers he just disliked the crap ones. I know he called for the sacking of 15000 crap teachers, I echo him in that.

Children get one chance at education if we cant cut it in the classroom we can go and get another job.

pearlsbeforeswine · 03/05/2009 21:43

Thinking about the schools I have taught in about 5% are shit tbh as well. It may be that they are in the wrong school ( this has happened to me) and therefore they need to think about what they can't do and find a school where they will fit in otherwise just go get another job. Teachers have degrees they should not struggle.

slug · 03/05/2009 21:52

He's generally loathed in the teaching profession for his hypocracy (shagging 6th formers) and his condescension towards all members of the profession. He also seemed unable to grasp the simple concept that many students are simply not academic and the "non-subjects" are sometimes the only thing that are keeping them in school, where at least their basic English and maths can be worked on as part of the course.

ravenAK · 03/05/2009 22:11

I'm a teacher (secondary English), & I don't loathe him.

I feel far more condescended to by (as an example off the top of my head & in NO way related to the crap dumped on me last week, oh no ) useless 'advisors' who come swanning in as 'support' to inexperienced colleagues, & blithely leave them expected to write a brand new scheme of work based on a few back-of-envelope jottings by some numpty who does a nice cushy job for the LA because they can't actually bloody TEACH.

I currently teach an extremely non-academic set for GCSE English. It'd be lovely to think that their 'basic English' was being worked on in PSHCE or whatever, but I'm afraid I see no evidence of that happening.

pearlsbeforeswine · 03/05/2009 22:12

I agree raven.

Original poster
stillenacht · 04/05/2009 07:16

Its not that i loathe him - i have no feelings either way about him but its just that as chief OFSTED guy his opinions seem to be based solely on his own education-this surely is vereeeee narrow minded.

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violethill · 04/05/2009 10:58

I totally agree with slug.

It's the hypocrisy that gets me. Not just the shagging students, but the fact that not that long ago, he was spouting to student teachers exactly the educational policies and views which he now denounces.

'Do as I say, not do as I do' sums him up.

Utter wanker.

Notquitegrownup · 04/05/2009 11:06

The late wonderful Ted Wragg once did a very funny critique of Chris Woodhead in the TLS, in which he took key statements he had made on educational policy, and then juxtaposed them with statements he had also made which were utterly contradictory. In true Wragg form it was very amusing, highlighting Wood Chrishead, or Head Woodchris's shifting beliefs.

Original poster
stillenacht · 04/05/2009 11:23

Ted Wragg was indeed a great guy RIP Ted

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pointydog · 04/05/2009 11:41

I do agree with some of Woodhead's opinions but he is so obviously an angry, patronising, inflexible man that he has no credibility as a leader, as someone to inspire others to great things. He is certainly driven but not necessarily by reason nor by a desire to do good.

He says in that article he is not sure if he is embittered. That hits it on the head for me. He comes across as very embittered so I don't value his motives and I despise his tone.

violethill · 04/05/2009 11:57

Exactly pointy.

You have to ask why so many teachers, including the very many who are committed, hardworking, professional etc despise him! It's not as though he's just hated by the small minority of incompetent teachers (who all right minded people want to get rid of anyway!). He is despised because he has no credibility as a leader whatsover, yet sees fit to condescendingly preach to leaders in schools and colleges across the land.

A true leader would inspire confidence and support from profesionals. He doesn't. He's a small minded bigoted hypocrite. And yes, I think he's probably actually quite bitter too.

edam · 04/05/2009 12:00

He strikes me as arrogant, a hypocrite (shagging a teenager) and, as the OP suggests, stuck in the '50s. Sort of person who, had they been born in the 19th century, would have been horrified at universities teaching Eng Lit as well as Classics. Or, a little later, Engineering as well as Physics.

cory · 04/05/2009 14:00

I am one of those benighted classicists, always happiest among the ablative absolutes, but even I can't help wondering if it is really more useless to know how to put on a condom than to know the battles of Oliver Cromwell. That kind of educationalist is always happiest educating the top 30% and washing their hands off the rest.

edam · 04/05/2009 14:17

Nothing wrong with classics! But there is something very wrong when the government puts a snob in charge of education and allows/encourages him to indulge his own prejudices.