Academies questionned

No the government are planning to scrap the academies, but questions are being asked. They’ve discovered the not targeting those most in need.
Last night I attended the annual incantation to Birmingham governors on what good things were on offer. Academies were among them. Outside teacher unions had joined forces with an alliance to stop their advance. Inside the assembled governors admitted their unfamiliarity with what was going on. Well there’s The Forum – haven’t you heard about the forum which tells you everything you’ll ever need to know. Deathly hush. Well the chair of the Forum is here to tell you alla about it.
One governor said he been a governor of a prison which had been privatized and now they were trying to claw these back realizing the terrible mistake. Wouldn’t this be the same again? Another sprang to the defence of the “inspiring” words of the Director. “We in Birmingham have to support these magnificent academies”. I don’t think so. Nothing should be accepted uncritically, certainly not from New Labour who continue to privatize even when successive ventures have come to grief. Railways, London Underground, prisons, you name it.
Academies? Well up north a company that has got its hands on some schools has dictated the curriculum and put, yes creationism on the menu. Just what has been going on in the neocon agenda in America responsible for the morass that is Iraq today.


But Lord Adonis continues to sit there pontificating in the face of all known experience and advice of teachers (what do they know?). Look says one Head teacher, Andrew it’s like this. You have targets to reach. Some children are sailing along. Just keep the wind blowing and they’ll reach harbour safely. It’s those just on the line who with a bit of effort will show that we’re on target. The rest? Well they won’t help. They are the ones who remain illiterate fail to get work and end up stuffing the overcrowded prisons who rarely find time to rehabilitate those who learned they were failures long ago. Lord Andrew continues to sit unmoved as he continues the mantra which like Woodhead before him so impresses New Labour in its Tory orientated way.
Be assured says the Director, that can’t happen in Birmingham, we won’t let it.

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