Been Busy

I've been busy, so no ramblings for a while. But looking at the news I still get quite confused. Like, in politics, is anything actually happening? We are, apparently in a major financial crisis currently (certainly if someone has a quality job they need doing, I'm up for it! My 'busyness' isn't that fulfilling), yet there doesn't seem anything concrete or dynamic coming out of government at present.

Labour seem less able to come up with competing ideas than the Lib Dems (coalition partners though they be), who are relentlessly suggesting ways to accelerate disaster in a variety of areas. It is clear each party, without regard to national emergency or well being, are instead searching for some magic formula, perhaps one that has worked before to win an election.

Not anything of substance, or a policy they actually intend to follow up, just some story, or 'narrative' that wins votes. A bit J K Rowling, with 1984 potential.

The same confusion reigns with education. Firstly, kids and teachers were wailing about exams being marked in a way that required the child to have done well. It did seem strange at first, but then we found it was only English exams and that some had benefited by some work getting soft marks back in December. So a tiny issue.

Then we hear that Gove wants to introduce formal, more difficult exams with no coursework and the teachers (unions) are up in arms. And what is the complaint? Er, that it comes from a Tory government it seems and that's it. Otherwise the objection is to educating children properly, or teachers to do their job properly, or just raising standards.

I appreciate these are all things that were safe under the union's pet, Labour, where teachers were excluded from criticism, exams were relentlessly made easier so teachers could crow about 'achievement' without actually doing anything and overall standards dropped like a stone. At no point then or now, you should notice, do the teachers unions mention the children.

They want to meddle in the formation of education policy and delivery and yet are only an organisation to represent the working conditions of their members. While they refuse to stick to their remit they should be ignored as a noisy rabble of no substance.

In the East, we continue to lose soldiers in Afghanistan, not just to violent murderers posing as religious people, but also Afghan forces. And yet we still haven't heard why we went there or what we are there to achieve. But Blair continues to accrue wealth apparently, from despots and tyrants around the world, immune to the consequences of his misrule, the financial chaos or the deaths attributable to him.

The 'convenient' Catholic might find that the man with no morals has no soul. If he does in fact have an ounce of belief in his body, then he will be more than aware that the master that awaits him has brimstone aplenty.

Ed Miliband - Not Quite Real

I nearly forgot again, it keeps happening to me. It is Ed Miliband who leads Labour isn't it? I have to check, you know. Anyway I heard the other day that he says you shouldn't blame teachers for a lack of sporting achievement in schools. Putting ideology before facts or common sense, let alone principle, Ed supports teaching Unions quite blindly.

If they are not to blame, despite the extensive reach of the 'non-competitive sports' beloved of the Left and promulgated throughout the teaching profession by the assiduous work of the teacher training colleges and Universities, the refusal to 'work' outside school hours -meaning sports clubs, then they also cannot be praised when the success is there.

That can't be right. If through dedication, hard work and belief in the kids they teach, our PE teachers turn out stars they deserve the highest praise. If they think the children should be held back to meet some socialist target, then they need to consider their choice of career. They are like some 'anti-Samaritans', encouraging people to suicide, such is their care-less negativity.

Mo Farah is living proof that hard work and effort is rewarded in this country and he said as much. No wonder Ed (it is Ed isn't it?) and his ilk have kept pretty quiet during the exceedingly popular, competitive Olympic Games. We have seen the wonderful British attitude shine through of applauding the people who came last or befell some misfortune; we are a fair people without being told to be so.

We scream and shout about the winners though, for their effort is the greatest and attracts the greatest reward. Those who cannot run faster than Usain Bolt recognise his talent and feel no shame. Instead they praise him and try a bit harder. They do not leave the Games suicidal as the Left and their 'psychologists' would have it.

I don't know if Anthony Joshua was saved from a life of crime by boxing, as is so often claimed in these cases, but what I saw was a talented youngster who was not just proud of his country, but thought of others and was well spoken. He had I'm sure bettered himself through his own efforts and that included respect for others. He didn't talk in some ghetto patois to gain respect, he did it the way you actually earn respect.

Too much youth in Britain is of the Simon Cowell mode; talentless and convinced that 'celebrity' and wealth can be achieved without effort. They see footballers as role models, with their extensive wealth based on a natural ability and little else. These footballers play poorly in competitions, particularly for their country, showing that they cannot effectively pass a ball, read the game or run for 90 minutes. These would seem prerequisites of the game, of their 'profession', but training is just so much effort.

No wonder they were so surprised, coming into contact with Olympic athletes. And also, thick footballers almost always stay thick. Improving themselves just means gold taps to them. A pox on all their houses.

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.