Schools, Teachers And Learning

Teachers striking is in the news. Talk is bandied about of educational standards, good and bad teachers, pay and pensions. But this is a confusion. In an ideal world a teachers Union would represent teachers in their negotiations on pay and conditions. They have no role to play in deciding educational issues.

Unfortunately we are not in an ideal world and teacher's Unions are actually about opposing a government with which they disagree and that they cannot control, so fermenting discord and announcing strikes is their political muscle flexing to get their way. Teachers striking causes immediate pain to the ordinary people and it is then a matter of whether people are weak and give in to the Unions for a quiet life, or fight them for better standards for everyone.

In these situations it is usually the children and the reason teachers exist that gets forgotten. Leftist educationalists are responsible for the poor standards of discipline and achievement in schools and teachers over inflated opinions of themselves. They also run the official complaint machines, Unions, so nothing can ever run properly.

But the Left have also created a 'them and us' narrative, where only one can be right. The government talks of monitoring teachers and sacking the bad ones, Unions say don't inspect, don't sack, just trust wonderful, professional teachers. But properly freed of state interference (and Union control) a Head could look at developing best practice in their school.

If one teacher seems to have striking success at inspiring the least able, then the head should examine how that teacher works and distill the essence to pass on to others. Learning in an institution of learning! Could it catch on? Similarly a teacher not doing so well, should feel confident to seek assistance and know that the admission does not lead instantly to a scrap heap.

All of this of course directed towards the education of the children, which is a million miles from current objective setting in education. Naturally, this local, initiative, outcome centred approach would not suit the Unions or idling teachers. But then, it's not meant to and they really are not the concern of those that care.

Francis Maude Orders JCB

Good grief! There is no fuel shortage. There is no strike pending or planned, that would affect supplies. Even so, with a level of stupidity that beggars belief, Francis Maude urges drivers to 'stock up' on fuel. Maybe keeping some in jerry cans 'in the garage'.

It didn't take long for the criticism (richly deserved) to start. The Fire Brigades Union said it was stupid and dangerous advice and the law limits what you can store anyway. (Why the Union by the way, cannot the actual fire service give this advice? Or was the comment political opportunism. Ah yes).

Maude though, once pursued into the hole he had dug, decided not to stop digging, but to accelerate the process. Wearing an 'I'm with supid' T shirt, with the arrow pointing at his head, Maude continued to stress that people should keep their car's fuel tanks topped up, 'just in case'. In case of what?? Someone should stuff a pasty in his mouth.

When the Unite political strike, timed to coincide with anger at fuel price increases through the Budget, which has absolutely to do with the strike threat but people probably won't realise that, does happen we will have advance warning. Then we need to consider 'strategies'.

As an example of how stupid and ignorant people are today, unable to make decisions based on actual facts, but instead do 'what they are told', the panic buying of petrol can hardly be beat. What a nation of fools we are.