Heaven help us, it's another education initiative from Michael Gove. This time he wants schools to open ten hours a day and on Saturday mornings. I can't see how that's going to produce anything other than exhausted pupils, exhausted teachers, an end to after-school activities, and a further erosion of family life.
Why is it that politicians think that if something fails, we have to keep doing the same thing only harder?
A lot of children, particularly from poorer backgrounds, are ill served by the present education system. But it seems to me that the most significant changes that would improve the educational chances of our children are smaller class sizes and really inspirational teachers.
I hope the Liberal Democrats' insistence on the pupil premium, paid to schools with children from lower income families, will start to help with the first, though more resources would clearly be needed to bring class sizes down to the levels of our private fee-paying schools. But I can't imagine many teachers being inspirational at five o'clock in the afternoon after having been chained to their desks since half past seven in the morning by Mr Gove.
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Please stop peddling the lie that the Lib Dems drove the pupil premium.
ReplyDeleteThe commitment was made by both the Conservatives and the Lib Dems in the General Election campaign, so it was pretty natural that it would feature in the coalition Government's programme.
I would like to say that I don't think you are deliberately twisting the facts - except it is about the third time I have seen the Lib Dims play this trick.
Martin, it's not "peddling a lie" to make it very clear that for the Liberal Democrats the pupil premium was one of our key commitments - and unlike the Conservative manifesto we regarded it as important enough to put a price tag on, one which we will have reached by the end of this parliament.
ReplyDeleteDon't you think your tone sounds a little hysterical? And as for your last sentence, when a senior elected politician descends to mere vulgar abuse, all it does is diminish you and your credibility.
If I am guilty of vulgar abuse I am almost certainly in breach of the Code of Conduct at Fenland District Council and the County Council - so it would be your duty to make a complaint.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I suspect you won't because it was a legitimate challenge.
I'm not aware that the councillors' Code of Conduct is capable of requiring any action at all on unelected members of the public. But my point remains that if you think it's a 'legitimate challenge' to deliberately mis-spell the name of an opposing political party for no other reason than to give offence, then I reiterate that that merely diminishes you - especially given your reported ambitions.
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