Chris Woodhead - have read the article in the Sunday Times

[stillenacht]

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.

agree with your first sentence Twinset.
Second sentence is obvious really.
Agree with the bit about supporting the right education for the child...every child matters eh?

The second sentence should be obvious but I have worked with colleagues who clearly have disgreed with it.

Blimey i have never!

I think if Woodhead expressed it as sanely as you do Twinset, then very few people would disagree.
IME, a teacher who is in the wrong school is as unhappy about it as any of the pupils s/he's teaching. No one is a winner in that situation. If a teacher is offered appropriate guidance and support, and then moved on or out if necessary, then no problem.
But this is hardly what Woodhead has spouted. He's a bigoted small minded arse who just rails against state education and has probably actually been detrimental to his own cause because no one takes him seriously. Teachers, good or bad, are far more likely to listen to somebody who inspires some respect.

If you actually think about what makes an inspiring effective teacher, Woodhead fails on just about every level. He shows no respect for the people he preaches to, he is incapable of looking beyond his own hideously narrow experience..... characteristics of a shockingly poor teacher I'd say.

I was once voted in a school most likey to become a chief inspector, I a known for no nonsence and zero tolerance of slackers. But yes agree violet, not about me being sane the rest.

i agree violethill with your last comment most definitely

I read his column in the ST just to remind myself how much I dislike him. It's almost a parody of itself these days - more suited to private eye or even Viz

[http://community.tes.co.uk/forums/t/314244.aspx?PageIndex=3 other opinions i haven't had time to read all]]

here are the other opinions taken from TES

Agree with TSAP, neither dh or I could successfully teach in each other's schools.

errr doesn't that mean you agree with me as well (as this is what i sort of said pre TSAP) Feels like i am the woman who suggests something and gets ignored (again!)...oh well never mind....

stillnacht I know exactly what you mean in regard to teachers as soon as I read your post I thought of my old math teachers. In my school you were streamed according to ability and the bottom group got this apparently bumbling old fool (of coure he wasn't) who actually was able to coax them and teach them and the top set got this shouty old bastard who knew his stuff and didn't suffer fools. If the teachers had been swapped it would have been an utter disaster but thankfully my school was able to match teachers to pupils most of the time.

Oh sorry Stillnacht for not seeing your insightful, apposite and all-round thumpingly good point; , no really, that's one of my pet peeves too on MN!