He became known for his outrageous and simply ridiculous attempts to pretend to the world’s press corp that Saddam’s Iraq was far from imploding but actually resisting the Allied Forces (even while Baghdad itself was being overrun by American troops!).

Lord, oh Lord, Adonis is, we believe, modelling himself on Mr. Comical. For a taster here are opinions regarding a recent research paper that Government policy was taking away teacher’s control and creativity:

“Our partnership with the teaching profession has led to radical improvements in working conditions and has recently led Ofsted to conclude we have the ‘best trained generation of teachers ever’.

“Schools and teachers have the freedom and autonomy to do what they do best - teach. We make no apology for policies which are delivering the highest standards ever.”

OMG!

They have released some very alarming statistics showing how much it would cost to buy a property in the UK. The strike action taking place on 24th April has been attacked, predictably, for letting students down. But when teachers’ pay is so low - they need to make over £60,000 pa to buy a house - that to even consider buying a property is not an option. Surely even the most managerial and unquestioning of people should start to see sense. Well, here’s hoping!

LONDON

1997 2002 2007
Average first time buyer house price £73,962 £169,975 £258,756
House price to income ratio 1.98 3.27 4.30
Average monthly repayment £436.60 £822.34 £1,343.10
Average repayment as % of average income 14% 19% 26.8%
Source: Shelter

Why is it costing so much? External agencies holding educational establishments to ransom? A National Qualifications Framework with too many levels? An obsession with examinations as a panacea? Education being run by people without education backgrounds?

We hear the new body, OfQual, will conduct a review. Bit like Bernard Matthews, turkey farmer, voting against Christmas, we think.

PS. We propose a new regulating authority, OfGov, which will assess whether UK voters are getting value for money!

Widely reported in the past week, it seems independent, fee-paying schools and their rivals have implemented the Cambridge Pre-U. Of 30 schools only 6 are from the state sector and the headteachers fear that it will lead to an educational divide. But, yet again, the DfIUKUHJJJ and the DfSCUTHEI aka the Department of Education has not listened to those who know best and has gone ahead. Critics have also attacked the move for further compilcating the existing examinations system that will now have to contend with the new diploma.

Choice is not always best, especially when the goal of education should be to alleviate as much as possible the inequalities and injustices in the country. All these new exams will do is allow those with money to jump the queue while state schools play catch-up, allowing the rich to regain some of their monopoly over education. Ed Balls-Up and his other Yes Men/Women should instead concentrate on simplifying the current exam system and address the issues that determine success or failure i.e. poverty, supportive teachers, healthy studying environments. This smacks of class war. Marx would turn in his grave.

We now call on the NUS to explain why they bother to exist AT ALL. Apart from being a stepping-stone for those aiming for a career in party politics, what exactly do they do? They have a pretty website with information relating to student welfare and also promote discounts with high-street retailers but is this really what a union is supposed to do?

The definition of a union is, “an organisation of employees, which acts collectively for mutual protection and assistance and is often concerned with wages and conditions of employment. Unions represent workers in dealings with employers and government. Many unions also offer extra services to their members such as advice about finances, access to health services, such as dental care, scholarships to help pay for school books or discount movie tickets.” On the last count, then, the NUS appears to be a union. But, by conceding defeat against the Government loansharks who force students to take out loans for something that should be free by right they have lost any credibility and no taking collective action to protect the conditions of students.

Like CND removing opposition to nuclear weapons or WWF standing aside as panda bears are slaughtered for their fur, the NUS has lost its raison d’etre.

Explaining the volte-face Ed Balls MP, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, explained that “the time is now right for those who know about teaching and learning to be given the reins.”

Upon hearing the announcement, a Tory spokesman commented that it welcomed the decision, then suggesting that it had been their idea all along.

Specific details are as of yet not forthcoming but it seems likely that the handover will occur sometime in August as long as necessary legislation can be fast-tracked through Parliament.

As a result WE have put together a list of reasons why observations, at least in their current form, make little sense:

1. They lack objectivity because objectivity is unattainable. The mere selection of criteria with which to judge a lesson reflects bias. Managers will argue that they are only following the criteria and it is the same for everyone but humans do NOT interpret things in the same way (is the glass half-empty, half-full?!) and this will be reflected in observations. Managers who say this are kidding themselves or are hiding behind them.

2. There is no proof that any particular teaching style is more effective than any other. There is anecdotal evidence but nothing compared to the hard science of splitting the atom. What we are left with are hunches and fashions. It is then your right as a teacher to do WHATEVER you like. Rote learning or group chanting, no-one has the normative right to tell you it is wrong. They only have institutional authority.

3. Similarly, the whole notion of learning is still controversial. Recently, Ofsted have peddled the belief that “learning = task completion” whereas in the past learning was all about creativity. Again, there is no categorical proof that learning is what we think it is. Currently, context and situation are seen as key components in learning. This is not reflected AT ALL in Ofsted’s notion of a good lesson.

4. You have a PGCE or such like. If your grades are low, what have they been teaching you on the course?

5. Observations can be rigged. You can teach the same lesson every time. You can have others plan the lesson for you.

6. They upset people. What good is a system that demotivates and demoralises?

7. If managers are also observing then this adds to suspicions of bias. If the manager likes someone then this ‘halo effect’ will be reflected in their grades and vice versa.

8. It damages relationships between staff by creating false divisions. Those who are graded high and those who aren’t.

9. If it is developmental, then why not have them every week? Too busy? No faith in them?

The solutions are to remove the institution from the process by having peers observe each other without grades and without the potential for punishment. The Edumonolith doesn’t want this a) because it means relinquishing control and b) it could to them losing their jobs.

Whereas in the past we may have expected observations to be in-house and free of inspection jargon and tick-boxes, it is now the duty of educational institutions to carry out the Government surveillance dirty work for them. Same system, same grades, same rubbish.

Aren’t they supposed to have the interests of their members to look after?

Further education lecturer, Barnet

Diana Whelham
Salary: £26,780

* Leo Benedictus
* Society Guardian,
* Thursday March 20 2003
* Article history

About this article
Close
This article was first published on guardian.co.uk on Thursday March 20 2003. It was last updated at 23:43 on March 19 2003.
Diana Whelham

Diana Whelham

The biggest problem for me and my colleagues at the moment is the way our workload isn’t being recognised. We work to a 23-hour week and the new management is trying to get us to accept a 25-hour contract as part of its restructuring.

This might sound easy, but it doesn’t take into account all the administrative parts of the job, the marking or the time spent talking to students and parents. It all adds up to another 20 hours a week, which makes it very difficult to find time to prepare my students’ work properly within the working day.

What’s more, we’re being asked to meet more and more targets for things like language training and dealing with mental health problems. And, of course, in further education we don’t get classroom assistants so, as an art and film teacher, I have to go out and buy all the materials and everything we need. All this makes it extremely hard for me to keep reading up on my subject or actually make it to the cinema.

The new contract offers a small extra increment in pay, but I can’t support it. It’s not about the money, it’s about impossible workload. We’re all feeling very demoralised. There are other schools and colleges in the area which have accepted it, but we’ve resisted for a long time, with the help of our union, Natfhe, which has been excellent.

Last year’s inspection was incredibly stressful, although in the end it went reasonably well and we had good responses from the students. It worries me that, under these conditions, the teaching they receive will eventually be impaired. To some managers, targets have become more important than students.

People forget that we teachers are here because we want to do it, it’s a vocation to us. And yet we have so many targets to meet that we don’t have time to build relationships with students or discuss issues in class. I’m thinking about moving out of the profession, and that’s a real shame.

The good news is I’ve moved into my own art hut, which is great, although I can feel a little bit isolated. Luckily, my colleagues are absolutely brilliant people. It’s their support that energises me - that’s what keeps us all going.

Public voices: March 21 2002

Further education lecturer, Barnet
Salary: £25,000

The main change that has affected my work in the last 12 months is the further reduction to course teaching hours. This does not mean that I have less work to do. The opposite is true - I now have to teach the same syllabus in less time. This in turn means I have to teach extra classes, which means more students to deal with, more marking and more preparation.

My college is also due for an inspection in April, so I will be spending more time than usual working at home. Inspection is a really stressful time for all teachers because we have to fit in even more paperwork into our already very busy schedules. We are also observed and graded on our performance in the classroom.

I think that most FE lecturers feel there are just not enough hours in the day to do the job properly these days. We have recently received a small pay rise which helps a little bit. This was funded by the Teacher’s Pay Incentive initiative, which is intended to keep qualified and experienced teachers in the classroom. Frankly though, I think it’s going to take quite a lot more than this to avoid a shortfall in the numbers of lecturers working in the sector. We have been fighting for parity of pay with teachers for a long time now and most of us feel our wages are not in accordance with our qualifications and experience.

Despite this, I can honestly say that I love teaching and feel that I am privileged to be able to do the work that I do. I am still really enthusiastic about the subjects that I teach (art and film) and to see a student pick up on an idea or develop something creative is a real thrill. As a result my work is genuinely rewarding a lot of the time and I regard myself as committed to my job. I am also very lucky to work with fabulous colleagues who are all very supportive and caring.

Unfortunately though, the increased stress and tiredness make it more and more likely that I will change the direction of my career into an area where I will feel more valued generally.
Lou Alexander

The Common Good: March 21 2001

Further education lecturer, Barnet
Salary: £24,500

Most FE lecturers feel extremely demoralised at the moment. This is mainly because their pay levels have fallen drastically behind school teachers who do a very similar job. There are constant pressures to teach more hours each week too.

This is especially frustrating because we perform such an important role. A lot of 16 year olds do not have access to sixth forms at their schools and so they have to come to us to gain any further qualifications.

As a London college it is also true to say that most of our students come from groups which tend to underachieve academically. Many also have social and family problems. Consequently, they are especially in need of dedicated teaching staff who can give them plenty of attention.

In my experience, most FE lecturers work very hard. Their jobs, like many other public sector workers’ jobs, have been made even more difficult by the increase in paperwork. This means they have less time to deal with student problems and the development of their skills. On the other hand we are also being pushed constantly to improve examination results. We are caught in the middle and it is often the students who suffer.

Many people believe that teachers have ridiculously long holidays, but believe me, we need them.