WE hate exams. Really, really, really. When teachers become lab scientists and learners become lab rats then you know something is wrong. Testing DOES NOT equal learning. What testing only achieves is assess the environment of the students i.e. their parents, peers, school, subculture and social class. By grading students you are simply putting into […]

Debate has been raging among ESOL practitioners regarding ‘coffee-shoppers’ and ‘exam-hunters’. The former are students who study for no other reason than to get out of the house for a few hours a week; the latter students who appear only around exam time.

Should students who possess only instrumental motivation be allowed to disrupt class dynamics […]

It has come to our attention that in the FE sector established and experienced staff are being asked to update their qualifications or risk losing their jobs. That education professionals should continue to develop during their career is not questioned - the quality of qualifications is. In several cases, staff are being asked to complete […]

Interesting reading on the Beeb. Reported that there are now 34,000 students being taught at home. They say there is a dispute regarding the figures. But, are we to believe that these figures are any less reliable than those quoted elsewhere?
Are the DfES deliberately sowing the seeds of suspicion in our minds so that we […]

UCAS has reported that the number of people applying for university degree course has increased by nearly 7%. They and New Labour should be congratulated. The propaganda is still working. The tale of how everyone goes to university and that it is the road to riches is still being sold and paying dividends.
The number of […]

An LSC survey has discovered that roughly two-thirds of adults were satisfied with the qualifications gained at school and nearly 75% of respondents stated they had made the most of opportunities at school and had worked hard enough.
It was also found that 70% of those who had retrained felt it had not improved their job […]

We are fairly unimpressed by the message carried by this film and see this as another teacher-bashing exercise. We couldn’t remember any positive portrayal of anything connected to education: kids were unruly, teachers apathetic and/or depraved. The head fared no better and wouldn’t have been out of place in The Office. More seriously, any discussion […]

News today that a new curriculum will as they put it ‘excite learning’. Really? Sounds like the end is nigh for the Curriculum. If, with all the changes that have taken place, it still isn’t ‘exciting’ then maybe it needs wholesale reform. We know, why not get rid of it, stop telling teachers what to […]

Apparently despite the expense and the hours of training, the IWB’s just don’t work. There hasn’t been any sign in improvement of grades in schools that have been using them. Would be interesting to see what impact they’ve had on class atmosphere and attendance, however.

The former director of the Basic Skills Agency has commented that Skills for Life may be a waste of time as having lower literacy levels is not that important and that SfL research results are questionable. Do we accept that the former director is convinced of this? Or do we, knowing that Labour is attempting […]