Free Schools

Well it looks like the idea of 'Free Schools' (allowing groups of parents or companies to run local schools) will go ahead. The details are a bit sketchy at the moment, but more will be revealed in the June budget.

The teachers unions vehemently oppose the plan, so it can't be such a bad idea. I'm certainly not going to criticise groups of parents desperate for a decent school to send their kids to; who have enough about them to make a serious attempt to run their own, especially when Local Education Authorities and Headteachers have made such a complete mess of so many schools up and down the country.

Whilst there should be concerns about the motives of some groups and companies who want to get involved, you do have to ask; could they really be any worse than those currently in charge?

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Paul Chambers

Paul Chambers has lost his job, been fined £1000 and now has a criminal record.

For what exactly? Sending a joke message on Twitter; something that I would have done without a second thought at his age if the technology had been available. (In fact if I knew how to use Twitter I'd do it right now)

Nobody for one moment imagines that he was doing anything other than voicing his frustration. It does make you wonder when we will actually start addressing the real threats to our safety, rather than over reacting and making our country look stupid. (Which given the current state of the election, we really don't need any help with)

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SATS Boycott

This week the SATS are due to take place across England to test those in year 6. Some teachers and headteachers are boycotting them for a variety of reasons such as:

Schools spend too much time teaching specifically to pass these tests.

Children are put under too much pressure at an early age simply for their school's benefit

The tests do not give a reliable indication of pupils' ability.

The results are used to publish league tables of schools which humiliate the awful ones.

Other teachers and parents support the SATS tests claiming that:

Without them parents would have no idea which schools were effectively teaching their children Maths and English and which were not.

It's only one set of tests- we had tests every year at school. They also get children used to sitting exams.

If we get rid of them, what do we replace them with?

No doubt you have your own views on the subject which are of course welcome.

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Rabbiting On

Leporiphobia or 'Fear of Rabbits' is no laughing matter. This poor teacher from Germany has been unable to return to her school after one pupil thoughtlessly drew a little bunny with no thought whatsoever for the consequences.

I suppose it was a case of 'hare today, gone tomorrow'.

Thanks to Inspector Gadget for that. (Have a look at his video of Brown and Mandelson singing)

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Election 2010

So Cameron got the most votes but didn't win; Gordon got voted out but isn't going and nobody voted for Nick Clegg but he's pulling all the strings?

And I thought education was in a bad way...

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Downing St

Chinese President, Hu Jintao has just delivered a large box of Viagra to 10 Downing St after hearing that Gordon Brown was having trouble with his election.

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Joburg Football Stadium

I'm not really interested in football, but I do wonder what possessed the South Africans to make their stadium look like a burning car tyre?

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