FE News
Category: Secondary Education
Teaching profession or teaching as a career ‘ ...
The BBC Education news desk and the The Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) seem to believe that a recent ICM survey shows teaching is ‘under rated’.
This may be the case but the study does not show this. The study actually shows us not that teaching is under-rated but that prospects for career development [...]
X Factor Education
EducationState are interested, if not surprised, that the ‘elite’ are out in force ramping up the ‘crisis’ level in much the same way the ‘fear’ level is ramped up by NuLab.
We all know the drill. Some self-appointed ‘expert’ speaks out in public about some perceived problem, statistics at the ready, and either one of the [...]
Workload not racism
According to the Independent, ‘Black and minority ethnic teachers face an “endemic culture of institutional racism” in schools, research found today’. This story is covered elsewhere but the press being the press they’ve not reported the main finding only the most provocative.
Let’s take a look at this ‘research’. The report, ‘Leadership Aspirations and Careers [...]
‘Teach First’ but for how long?
We see that the “Tories back ‘Teach First’ scheme”.
It seems sensible to encourage ‘high-flying’ graduates to join the teaching profession so that they can pass on their skills and experience.
However, we would argue that this scheme is not the answer to teacher recruitment and retention. Improved working conditions especially eradicating all paperwork and restoring [...]
Union Leader 4 U
“Union leader calls for review of mobile phone ban in classrooms”, says the Observer. Really? Perhaps so. After all, the article later declares: “In schools where children were provided with handheld computers with phone and internet access to use in lessons, teachers have reported very little misuse, according to David Whyley, the headteacher consultant for [...]
Exam(s) Costs
We can only but admire the logic of a system designed to record progress and raise standards that in fact is costing £700 million and rising. Brilliant for those who provide the examinations e.g. Cambridge University, Edexcel, Trinity and so on.
Why is it costing so much? External agencies holding educational establishments to ransom? A National [...]
Return of Class War
We at EducationState have written of the trials and tribulations of staff and students in education but we think that of all news commented on in recent times the new university entrance exams in the UK are purely and simply an attempt to turn back the clock to the days of educational elitism.
Widely reported in [...]
We Want You As A New Recruit!
The mass hysteria surrounding the alleged epidemic of British youth destroying the very fabric of society has reached fever pitch. Not wanting to miss out on any political point-scoring, the Tories would love to see soldiers retrained as teachers. Apparently, they don’t think feral youth have it hard enough so they want to really rub [...]
A Good Teacher
Great response to a BBC News article about what makes a good teacher.
The following response is indicative of the rest:
“I would have thought that it was quite obvious what makes a good teacher in this day and age. The ability to cope with enormous amounts of administrative paper-work including individual lesson plans for every lesson [...]
Self-determination
Today the BEEB’s very own Mike Baker asks how the reluctant minority can be encouraged to stay on.
We have a great idea: why not ask 16+ boys and girls what they want to study and allow them to do it. Perhaps that why school is so unattractive to so many: they don’t get to choose! [...]