Have you (school staff) been happy with Education policy under this government?

[fedup21]

Have the changes/budget cuts affected how you intend to vote next month?

I’ve only ever voted Labour or Lib Dem so am probably what -my parents!- you would call a lefty and wouldn’t vote Conservative anyway, but I was wondering if you were pretty happy with how things are in schools/your job and how that would affect your vote? Or is your vote based more about other issues (Brexit?) than the education/NHS etc

No, I would never vote conservative, the fact that the have destroyed schools over the past 9 years with austerity is unsurprising. What I don’t want forgotten is the impact of cuts to services like CAMHs which have affected schools who need to pick up the pieces. Their neglect of SEN children is also shameful.

However I am genuinely concerned about Labour’s prospective education policies (waiting for the manifesto). Scrapping Ofsted, SATs and wanting to fuck over private education (however they manage it) which will put more of a burden on the state sector and just generally blundering in and ripping everything up is really not what is needed right now. We need stability, not more chaos and uncertainty.

If I were only voting based on education policy, I wouldn’t vote Labour either. (That’s not the only reason I’m not going to vote for them).

The Tories have really put a sledgehammer to the education system. I work in special needs and it's such a nightmare thanks to their cuts apart from anything else. They don't give a damn about state education or about special needs. I would never vote Tory.

I would not vote Conservative - they have systematically destroyed state education. I agree with everything noblegiraffe says about Labour's plans. I have just had a look at the Lib Dems Education Policy - it has some good points, but is weak on SEN, IMO.

Scrapping Ofsted, SATs and wanting to fuck over private education (however they manage it) which will put more of a burden on the state sector and just generally blundering in and ripping everything up is really not what is needed right now. We need stability, not more chaos and uncertainty.

I completely agree. Will be interesting to see their education manifesto. I can’t see how you can get rid of private schools when people are willing to pay for them.

There must be a better alternative to Ofsted in the long term though-I don’t think it’s fit for purpose.

have just had a look at the Lib Dems Education Policy - it has some good points, but is weak on SEN, IMO.

What does it say re SEN?

I presume their actual manifesto isn’t available yet?

I am school admin staff if we are allowed?
I am voting only on education policy this time round. I work in a school and have two children in school and have decided that education policy is indicative of how the party feels about society as a whole.
I like labours focus on life long learning and early years investment. I am a bit meh about SEND being focussed on inclusion as i find that a bit ideological and not right for a lot of children with SEND.
Liberals were a bit woolier. No statment on SEND other than increasing LA funding to help fund ehcps. There.was some waffle about a standards agency that i will look at again. But there was a lot of positive stuff too.
I couldnt find conservative policy. The website still had teresa may stuff on it. but presume its more of the same (run it to the ground and transfer as much to academies as possible)
Greens was so wooly and woke i couldnt work out what they were going to do. I will look again though.
And yes watching the TA hours reduced. Seeing children with 1:1 specified in an ehcp actually sharing their 1:1 with lots of people and knowing how many cut backs weve had and that 75% of schools will be posting a deficit budget this time round has had an impact on my voting.

@fedup21

This is from the LibDem website

"Ensure that identification and support for children with special educational needs or a disability takes place as early as possible. We will end the crisis in high needs funding by increasing councils’ budgets for every child on an Education, Health and Care Plan."

@ fleariddenmoggie

I agree-that’s rather bland and unspecific!

We will end the crisis in high needs funding by increasing councils’ budgets for every child on an Education, Health and Care Plan.

That's a cop out. What about the many many more children with SEN who don't have an EHCP?

@MyOtherProfile I agree - it's very disappointing. Also, what is the point of identifying children with SEN, if you don't have a clear plan and budget for support? Perhaps it will be clearer in their manifesto. Despite my reservations, I think the LibDems policy is preferable to what I have read on the Tory, Labour and Green websites.

Sadly a Lib Dem vote is utterly wasted in my area so if I don’t want the Torys again, it has to be Labour.

@fedup21 sadly any vote in my area is unlikely to make a dent in the huge Tory majority. My political views are definitely at odds with my neighbours. Our Tory MP is charming and articulate but his views, as shown by his voting record, are scary.

My Boris arse-licking MP also has a massive majority. I guess this at least frees me up from any obligation to vote tactically.

Not sure who I will vote for yet, maybe Lib Dem as a Brexit vote.

Just got a Lib Dem leaflet through the door, it says that they will give colleges the same per-pupil funding as secondary schools.

That actually seems like a good policy. I’ve no idea why FE is so poorly funded.

No not happy. We have lost support staff and our small school is on its knees budget wise. Sports premium a’plenty but can’t spend it on anything else! Also very unhappy with Gove’s exam reforms.

On Teacher Tapp this was sort of asked yesterday and teachers seem to be deserting Lab for Lib Dems and virtually no Tory support compared to how they actually voted last time.

Meanwhile, in the 'real World' do we think anyone will actually vote on anything other than Brexit.

As for me, I'm a Red Clydesider. Now , on the actual Clyde these days, they vote SNP but since I can't do that, I will stick to my roots, even though Jo Swinson is now MP for my childhood town.

do we think anyone will actually vote on anything other than Brexit.

I don’t know, that’s the mistake Theresa May made last time, she tried to make the 2017 election all about Brexit (who do you trust in the negotiations, her or Corbyn etc etc) but what actually did for her majority was the other stuff - school funding cuts, the NHS, her being a weird robot with no personality...

6 weeks of spotlight on Boris - sunlight might be the best bleach.

Here’s those Teacher Tapp results.

Be interesting to see how those shift (or not) when the manifestos come out.

Big drop for the main parties since last time.

My school has lost about 30% of teachers and 80% of TAs despite rising numbers. SEN provision is all but non-existent.

Ofsted and LEAs have lost most of their budget too but the admin of our academy chain, owned by a millionaire, has a huge budget.

Judging by the young people on our staff, they simply aren’t intending on voting at all which is quite depressing.

That is depressing. My 18, 21, and 23 year olds know how important it is to vote.

I actually don't mind some of the exam reforms and I don't mind some of the changes in direction away from the dominant progressive pedagogy at all costs (given we all know Ofsted and government are often one and the same). I also don't mind the discussion about exclusions and behaviour now instead of ducks and hides

But, the Tories have ruined all wider services for teens and families, CAMHS cuts are a disgrace, education funding is a disgrace, they're too willing to firm up very large MATs and turn a blind eye to too much. I could never vote conservative for that.

Equally, I would be happy to see private schools lose their tax exemptions, but don't want them closing. I'm also not a fan of getting rid of Ofsted and the SATs seems to be more a poorly considered policy to sound clever.

I actually far prefer teaching under this government but I know I will be a lone voice.

Can you explain why? And what do you mean by This government? Boris and co, or May? Or Tories in general?

Tories in general. I think it’s fair to say BJ hasn’t been in long enough to have noted any real changes and educationally I didn’t notice any real difference under May.

I am HOD English. Under Labour and then under the coalition government them were the days of English Lang GCSE being 40% controlled assessment and 20% s & l. English Lit was 25% controlled assessment IIRC.

I hated teaching then. It was just chopped down into one CA after another and SLT never being happy (OK, so that hasn’t changed) and kids having to do it again, and again, and again. I knew we were breaking rules but felt powerless against pressure from above to get Cs.

This also meant a lot of bright kids were shortchanged, especially working class bright kids as it was all about magical Cs. My school used to enter at the end of year 10, enter again in November and enter again end of year 11. It was in essence keep entering them until they get Cs.

Behaviour was terrible, too.

It’s far from perfect now but they were dark days!