bolshevik butcher
13th March 2006, 18:50
I wrote the following article for the school students union thats jsut got up and running in Edinburgh. It's fairly brief and it uses simplish language because we're trying to appeal to all school students.
Stop Blair’s Attack on Schools
Although this bill only applies in England I think that it is vital that we plan to fight back against it and raise awareness of it before it is proposed here;
In its most recent proposal to reform education the governments plans to sell off the education system seem to have gone a step closer. The outcry from Labour backbenchers has forced Blair into a partial retreat but the ideas of the bill remain intact and we must continue to fight against private sector involvement in education.
Under the new plans, Schools can be given ‘trust’ status. With this status schools will practically become private businesses; they will be able to set teachers pay, sell land and even use public money to invest in shares! A trust school will have no obligations to the Local Education Authority(LEA), LEAs will not be able to make sure that trust schools keep up with education standards or the national curriculum, it will also mean that the LEA has little say in how trusts fund themselves or manage their finances.
Under these proposals it is very likely that a new two-tier system of schools will emerge. High quality, good schools, most likely in affluent areas for gifted children as well as those with well off parents, and a lower tier of dumping grounds for the average student in a working class area. Although to an extent this already happens in our increasingly privatised, under-funded comprehensive system, these proposals will allow for it to happen far more severely than we could imagine. Is it right that you should suffer so that a minority can benefit?
Now you are thinking, ‘Who will run these trust schools?’ The government? NO! This is probably the worst thing in the bill, a large range of organisations, if they can afford to do so will be allowed to run these new schools. This ranges from churches to charities. Now, what difference will this make you think, they have to teach a set curriculum right? No, this is not how it will work. Churches could theoretically teach creationism as fact, or another organization could turn modern studies into a propaganda session.
Also proposed in the bill is the continued harassment of teachers, especially those in poorer areas. Under the proposal, schools will have to constantly publish figures of how well their students and staff are performing. Then schools that are judged to be ‘failing’ will be given one year to recover, if they do not then new ‘providers’ will be parachuted in. This will speed up privatisation of education. So called ‘failing’ schools are often full of staff doing a good job in bad circumstances. Is the ability of children in each school taken into account? It is also worth noting that ‘failing’ schools are often those that receive the least funds and constant media harassment and pressure, why would staff possibly want to work at such an institution, nevermind with the pressures of knowing that their job or their bosses could be on the line due to the ‘brightness’ of a year group. I attend what would probably be judged as a failing school and fail to see the benefits of putting new management in with an agenda that may well have an agenda compromised by an organisations interest. Our future is at stake, we must ensure that school students fully understand what is being proposed. We need to continue and expand our organisation to fight these Tory plans.
WE MUST
1 OPPOSE ANY MEASURES TO PRIVATISE EDUCATION.
2 BUILD THE EDINBURGH SCHOOL STUDENTS UNION
Stop Blair’s Attack on Schools
Although this bill only applies in England I think that it is vital that we plan to fight back against it and raise awareness of it before it is proposed here;
In its most recent proposal to reform education the governments plans to sell off the education system seem to have gone a step closer. The outcry from Labour backbenchers has forced Blair into a partial retreat but the ideas of the bill remain intact and we must continue to fight against private sector involvement in education.
Under the new plans, Schools can be given ‘trust’ status. With this status schools will practically become private businesses; they will be able to set teachers pay, sell land and even use public money to invest in shares! A trust school will have no obligations to the Local Education Authority(LEA), LEAs will not be able to make sure that trust schools keep up with education standards or the national curriculum, it will also mean that the LEA has little say in how trusts fund themselves or manage their finances.
Under these proposals it is very likely that a new two-tier system of schools will emerge. High quality, good schools, most likely in affluent areas for gifted children as well as those with well off parents, and a lower tier of dumping grounds for the average student in a working class area. Although to an extent this already happens in our increasingly privatised, under-funded comprehensive system, these proposals will allow for it to happen far more severely than we could imagine. Is it right that you should suffer so that a minority can benefit?
Now you are thinking, ‘Who will run these trust schools?’ The government? NO! This is probably the worst thing in the bill, a large range of organisations, if they can afford to do so will be allowed to run these new schools. This ranges from churches to charities. Now, what difference will this make you think, they have to teach a set curriculum right? No, this is not how it will work. Churches could theoretically teach creationism as fact, or another organization could turn modern studies into a propaganda session.
Also proposed in the bill is the continued harassment of teachers, especially those in poorer areas. Under the proposal, schools will have to constantly publish figures of how well their students and staff are performing. Then schools that are judged to be ‘failing’ will be given one year to recover, if they do not then new ‘providers’ will be parachuted in. This will speed up privatisation of education. So called ‘failing’ schools are often full of staff doing a good job in bad circumstances. Is the ability of children in each school taken into account? It is also worth noting that ‘failing’ schools are often those that receive the least funds and constant media harassment and pressure, why would staff possibly want to work at such an institution, nevermind with the pressures of knowing that their job or their bosses could be on the line due to the ‘brightness’ of a year group. I attend what would probably be judged as a failing school and fail to see the benefits of putting new management in with an agenda that may well have an agenda compromised by an organisations interest. Our future is at stake, we must ensure that school students fully understand what is being proposed. We need to continue and expand our organisation to fight these Tory plans.
WE MUST
1 OPPOSE ANY MEASURES TO PRIVATISE EDUCATION.
2 BUILD THE EDINBURGH SCHOOL STUDENTS UNION