Michael Gove and the teachers

[Pogue Mahone]

As (another) teacher, this thread has warmed my heart.

I can't work out how bright Gove is. His refusal to listen to advisers when they point out his 'reforms' won't work has lead to chaotic U-turns on exams and stupid-looking policies like making AS and A Levels separate. His apparent need to be constantly in the news leads to statements apparently designed to wind-up teachers and, more recently, Lib-Dems. This suggests he is attention seeking but not so clever.

However, if he is seeking to privatise education through acadamisation and free schools- and provide smoke-screens and fight opposition groups- then he is doing a good job (at achieving that aim). This would suggest he is sophisticated in his cunning.

Either way, he is no longer merely a joke or a credible leader. He needs to be removed from his post as education, I think, is too important an area to suffer the change, uncertainty and incompetence we have seen. Well done to the NAHT for highlighting this.

Me too.

I am, frankly, staggered that anyone at all feels anything other than contempt for the man. His belief that teachers are the Marxist enemy within, militant malcontents who care about themselves alone, is utterly bizarre. We are an incredibly hard working profession, and we have gone into education because we care about children and the future, and we want to make this future better for them.

Michael Gove is the most arrogant politician in Parliament today, and when you combine this arrogance with his utter ignorance of what works and is valid in education, you get a very dangerous man. He must be removed.

This sums him up quite well:

http://paulbernal.wordpress.com/2013/05/09/mr-gove/

 

[Barrel of Fun]

It's amazing to think that someone believes teaching is a nine til four job with thirteen weeks holiday. If only it were that simple.

 

[Varndean VI Form College]

Me too.

I am, frankly, staggered that anyone at all feels anything other than contempt for the man. His belief that teachers are the Marxist enemy within, militant malcontents who care about themselves alone, is utterly bizarre. We are an incredibly hard working profession, and we have gone into education because we care about children and the future, and we want to make this future better for them.

Michael Gove is the most arrogant politician in Parliament today, and when you combine this arrogance with his utter ignorance of what works and is valid in education, you get a very dangerous man. He must be removed.

This sums him up quite well:

http://paulbernal.wordpress.com/2013/05/09/mr-gove/

Excellent link, sums his arrogance up perfectly.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Excellent link, sums his arrogance up perfectly.

Indeed. But mockery isn't enough to get rid of this menace.

 

[glasfryn]

I'm not a violent person but Gove has got the world's most punchable face.

in the queue mate
gidion and dave first

 

[CorgiRegisteredFriend]

Not only is he arrogant but Gove seems to be creating an education system that is totally at odds with itself. I am not an expect on this but to enter the profession new teachers have now got to be more qualified than ever before. They have to pass Maths and English tests to a level greater than their pupils perform at. I actually agree with this as being a good thing. However Gove is promoting/ funding Free Schools and to teach in these you do not have to be qualified. There was the recent case of a Free School in Pimlico which even had an unqualified head teacher.
Gove and his Government have also produced a New Curriculum for all schools to teach from September 2014. It's content has been widely criticised especially the History element. If however, you are teaching in an academy you do not have to follow this curriculum. The government want all schools to become academies!
All very confusing!

 

[MICK PATCHAM]

As much as I have a general loathing for politicians and although Michael Gove fits the bill quite beautifully, I have to applaud his response to the hostile audience of headmasters. I can speak from experience. So whereas private sector versus public sector is bad enough, if you work 37 weeks a year with breaks every six weeks and home by ten to for four plus a pension that outweighs most private options, please don't use stress as a reason for your unhappiness. The fact you can be upset that somebody might just want to sit in your enclosed environment to check you might be half decent, is surely the least we should do for the children.
Everybody remembers a good teacher that they had a school. Mysteriously it is usually only one. And I doubt that ever used the word stressed.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-22582627

You my friend are clueless

 

[MICK PATCHAM]

in the queue mate
gidion and dave first

millipede galloway and dianne abbot win hands down

 

[glasfryn]

millipede galloway and dianne abbot win hands down

if you are talking people in general lets have Barber in there as well anyway I don't particularly like the two you mention but they are harmless

 

[Barrel of Fun]

I was shown this as part of my pre-placement training at Sussex University. Very interesting indeed.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[brightonbaz]

I am a trainer running work based sessions for adults. In my experience there are too many adults whose basic knowledge of Maths and English (and some other subjects) is often found wanting. In my view opportunities to learn after leaving school/college etc. is limited and more money should be invested in adult education. Until this imbalance is addressed and adults have better, cheaper access to good quality learning then industry/society will be all the poorer........learning should be for life

 

[Guinness Boy]

Me too.

I am, frankly, staggered that anyone at all feels anything other than contempt for the man. His belief that teachers are the Marxist enemy within, militant malcontents who care about themselves alone, is utterly bizarre. We are an incredibly hard working profession, and we have gone into education because we care about children and the future, and we want to make this future better for them.

Michael Gove is the most arrogant politician in Parliament today, and when you combine this arrogance with his utter ignorance of what works and is valid in education, you get a very dangerous man. He must be removed.

This sums him up quite well:

http://paulbernal.wordpress.com/2013/05/09/mr-gove/

That blog is brilliant. Just a shame it's necessary.

Michael Rosen also makes a good point on the whole thing here.

http://michaelrosenblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/raising-standards-not.html

 

[TrickyOne]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Very good that BOF, thanks for sharing, if only it could be implecated in a simple way.....probably without interferring govts. Hope you're well.

 

[BigGully]

Its a pointless task to try to explain the workload, stresses and commitment needed to become a good reliable teacher to those that have never been near or in the profession.

My wife went into teaching late and has progressed to quite a high position, but prior to this I would of held many of the inaccurate prejudices that the OP holds.

It can never really be fully understood by those outside.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

Michael Gove and The Coalition's policy on Education.

The Albion/Gus/Poogate/Barber

Not quite sure which is currently more of a f@@k up.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

That blog is brilliant. Just a shame it's necessary.

Michael Rosen also makes a good point on the whole thing here.

http://michaelrosenblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/raising-standards-not.html

Michael Rosen is brilliant, isn't he? Did you see this (while we're sharing links)?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2013/jan/07/education-proposals-for-michael-gove

 

[Lankyseagull]

As much as I have a general loathing for politicians and although Michael Gove fits the bill quite beautifully, I have to applaud his response to the hostile audience of headmasters. I can speak from experience. So whereas private sector versus public sector is bad enough, if you work 37 weeks a year with breaks every six weeks and home by ten to for four plus a pension that outweighs most private options, please don't use stress as a reason for your unhappiness. The fact you can be upset that somebody might just want to sit in your enclosed environment to check you might be half decent, is surely the least we should do for the children.

Everybody remembers a good teacher that they had a school. Mysteriously it is usually only one. And I doubt that ever used the word stressed.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-22582627

Do you know anything about a teacher's workload? What absolute uninformed tosh.

Its a pointless task to try to explain the workload, stresses and commitment needed to become a good reliable teacher to those that have never been near or in the profession.

My wife went into teaching late and has progressed to quite a high position, but prior to this I would of held many of the inaccurate prejudices that the OP holds.

It can never really be fully understood by those outside.

Agreed. It never ceases to amaze me the amount of work my other half has to do during evenings and weekends. As for these long holidays, most of her time is spent on planning, marking, assessing, report writing etc.

And I haven't even mentioned how much of our own money we use to buy resources for the school!

 

[Napper]

The government want all schools to become academies!
!

It's all about the money , money , money

 

[Dandyman]

You my friend are clueless

How anyone can seriously think Gove is anything other than a self-promoting extremist is beyond me.

 

[joeinbrighton]

I am a trainer running work based sessions for adults. In my experience there are too many adults whose basic knowledge of Maths and English (and some other subjects) is often found wanting. In my view opportunities to learn after leaving school/college etc. is limited and more money should be invested in adult education. Until this imbalance is addressed and adults have better, cheaper access to good quality learning then industry/society will be all the poorer........learning should be for life

I think there also needs to be more of a motivation to acquire knowledge among people in order to facilitate this learning. I think perhaps the advent of reality TV, 24 hour interactive media etc is that far from enabling people to have access to learn more, it has in fact cultivated lazy minds.