Michael Gove

[LadyBlaBlah]

Does anyone get the impression that the list detailing which school building projects were going to be axed wasn't given much thought?

Sounds like a bit of an arbitrary list done in a haphazard fashion.

Really, how could he make such a fundamental clerical error if the list had been given any thought at all?

Typical

I think the DoE must be a hell of a mess to get the list so wrong, and he must be pretty challenged to sort things like this out.

The DoE have been allowed to have their head for years, fiddle faddling about, creating silly initiatives and not following through on the paperwork and evaluations properly. Now chickens are coming home to roost.

In agreement with Sorky and BoffinMum,

I think we need a balance between providing a good academic education for those showing potential and not excluding children or 'writing them off'. I think that excellent primary education is the key here.

The Finnish seem to educate their children in mixed ability classes up to age 16!! But, by senior school age, virtually all their pupils have high levels of literacy and numeracy and are keen to learn (or at least haven't been totally turned off). Class sizes are small and a second fully qualified teacher often helps the less able.

(To be fair - It probably also helps that the Finnish are generally very supportive of their dc's education. And teaching is a very high status job.)

My point is many children have great potential - but they need the right foundation for learning. And that needs to be achieved in the primary years.

I think it also helps that the FInnish pay infinitely higher taxes than we do, have much more generous maternity and paternity leave, have a much smaller population and start school at a later age.

MissM - yes all that, and a phonetically sensible written language .

Jack - . Our teachers' and children's lives would be so much easier if English was consistent!

Actually there is a thread on here somewhere proposing we adopt consistent English spelling. An Interesting discussion but not likely to happen, of course.