4/18/2008 8:46:00 AM
Leader; The Independent 18 April
Previous instalments of the epic Primary Review into the condition of Britain's primary schools have evaluated areas such as the prevalence of testing, the burden of the national curriculum and standards. The latest reports, published today, turn their attention to those individuals charged with delivering the actual education service in our primary schools: teachers.In line with previous instalments, the conclusions are somewhat less than heartening. One report argues that the National Curriculum and the twin National Literacy and National Numeracy strategies have "decreased teacher autonomy". It reports the complaints of teachers that they feel "de-professionalised" and "deskilled". Head teachers cannot be "hands on" because of the expansion of "management, marketing and financial responsibilities". It ascribes this to the Government's pushing of "fad" theories of heads needing to "turn around" schools, in the same way that executives "turn around" businesses. Another report concludes that the "increased prescription and control" of primary schools has impeded the ability of teachers to develop the necessary skills to be effective.In fairness, the picture painted is not entirely bleak. The reports also find that new teachers are more likely to be positive about their job than they were a decade ago. And primary school teachers are pleased with some central reforms of recent years, such as the mandating of greater planning and preparation time, and an increase in the use of classroom assistants. Perhaps most encouraging of all is the conclusion that not all teachers have succumbed to Government attempts to micromanage their work.Yet, as a whole, these latest verdicts are hardly something from which ministers can draw a good deal of pride. A Government which came to power promising that its three main priorities in office would be "education, education, education" would have wanted a rather more positive final report; so would most parents and taxpayers.So what is to be done? An end to attempts to micromanage teachers' lives is clearly needed. One report recommends "a slower, more deliberative context of policy development" from the Department for Education and argues that "the relation of research to policy and practice needs to be linked more systematically and enduringly to deep issues concerning learning and motivation, rather than tied to the evaluation of ephemeral initiatives". In non-academic speak, this means that ministers need to concentrate on reforms that will genuinely improve the performance of our primary schools, rather than what might grab a few positive headlines in the next day's newspapers. We agree entirely.
Independent
'MORAL PANIC' AND 'POLICY HYSTERIA' HARMING PRIMARY SCHOOLS, REPORT SAYS
The Independent 18 April
Primary school education has been damaged by "prescriptive state nationalisation", which has taken all the fun out of children's learning, the biggest review of primary education in 40 years has concluded. A mixture of "moral panic", "policy hysteria" and "fad theory" has had a devastating effect on primary schools in England, according to the latest reports of the Cambridge University-led Primary Review. The three reports published today examining teacher professionalism, training and leadership followed 22 earlier reports that have delivered a damning indictment of the Government's record on primary education. Children had been reduced to the status of "targets and outputs" in a school system ruled by political "whim", researchers from Manchester Metropolitan University said.Independent
PRIMARIES ARE ‘BEDEVILLED BY POLICY HYSTERIA’
TES 18 April
Focus on “mission strategies” and “leadership vision” has led to primary schools being run like US businesses, falling victim to one fad after another. An interim report from the ongoing national review of primary education said schools had been bedevilled by policy hysteria. As a result, they follow a pattern in which innovations are piloted, briefly become very popular, then decline rapidly before the next new innovation appears. The report, by academics from Manchester Metropolitan University, said: “There have been too many initiatives, too many short-term responses to media scares, involving ever shortening cycles of reform, multiple innovations and frequent policy shifts.” The management, marketing and financial responsibilities of the job have also increased. The report said: “Policy trends have emphasised the role of the headteacher in ‘turning round’ schools and ‘delivering excellence’ via highly proactive ‘visions’ and leadership ‘mission strategies’.” As a result, primary heads were finding it much harder to follow their preferred approach of hands-on leadership, leading by example: “Innovation is too often a matter of ill-considered policy-borrowing.”
Mick Brookes, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: “There’s one policy change after another. You can’t keep up with that. It’s nice to have lots of ideas. But let’s have that as a menu, so that heads can choose the things that are right for their school and locality.” TES
Curriculum / Quality Assurance | Primary
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