Educational...

[Sulkdodds]

...reform? New Labour proposes stuff.

A summary of the issues at hand.

Good? Bad? Discuss.

 

[CptStern]

not familiar with the british education system but from quickly reading your link I gotta wonder whether the new admissions policy will be open to abuse ..if schools create their own guidelines wouldnt that lead to discrimination in one form or other?

 

[SAJ]

One very important "issue" missing from the Guardians list is the proposal that schools will be able to negotiate contracts and wages with teachers individually, rather than through the union.
As if teachers didnt have it bad enough already.

 

[gick]

One very important "issue" missing from the Guardians list is the proposal that schools will be able to negotiate contracts and wages with teachers individually, rather than through the union.
As if teachers didnt have it bad enough already.

Agreed. Teachers do an incredibly difficult job, have virtually no time off (contrary to popular belief) and dont get paid nearly enough. Also, it never ceases to amaze me that a party that was originally Socialist could turn its back on everything it stands for and drift so far to the right.

Trusts

Issue: Every primary and secondary school will be encouraged to become a self-governing trust, backed by a business, charity, faith group, university or parent organisation. Its assets can be transferred to the trusts, which will be able to have a majority on the governing body and more control over teaching and staffing.

This bit seriously worries me. Having a school run by a business is (IMHO) an extremely bad idea, as is having a school run by a 'faith group' (I should know, I went to a Catholic Primary, Middle and High School).

 

[Solaris]

No its terrible. It could set us back and put poorer kids at an even greater disadvantage, plus schools should be owned by the state 100%.

 

[$kelet0r]

i believe all schools should be state owned and regulated and that those that choose their own ethos should be taxed for that right

 

[gick]

i believe all schools should be state owned and regulated and that those that choose their own ethos should be taxed for that right

Or you could just ban religious teaching in schools. Hammering what to think, instead of how to think into the minds of children during their formative years is the root cause of many of the world's biggest problems. I'm opposed to having schools run by businesses for more or less the same reasons.