The conceptual error of the Rasch model used by PISA
April 11, 2013
The race to the bottom continues
February 7, 2013
Northern Ireland Education Minister issues gaffe press release: Remedial English lesson required.
March 13, 2012
John O’ Dowd, Education Minister for Northern Ireland issued a Press Release via the N I Direct Executive web site announcing his decision for the future of assessment at GCSE level.
Unfortunately for the hapless Sinn Fein representative the extent to which the Minister is not fit for purpose is revealed in the content of his PR. Announcing an increased emphasis on punctuation, grammar and spelling, Mr O’ Dowd includes a spelling mistake for good measure. The mistake was contained in a paragraph referencing O’Dowd’s equivalent post-holder and political nemesis in England, the Secretary of state for Education.
One may only assume that someone prepared the press release, someone proofed it and the minister actually read it prior to publication. On the other hand…..
CCEA promise change on tougher GCSEs: Will CCEA deliver?
February 27, 2012
http://www.rewardinglearning.org.uk/newsroom/2012/240212.asp
On Friday February 24th, 2012 CCEA issued a Press Release after Ofqual announced that GCSEs in English Literature, Maths, History and Geography would be made more rigorous. This statement contrasts with Education Minister, John O’Dowd’s recent statement that CCEA would not follow the English model. Clearly fears over the equivalence issue have resulted in a rapid rethink.
Read the full story here: http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/article-2011647/Britain-MUST-bring-grammar-schools-risk-generation-fails-life.html
Meanwhile in Northern Ireland the Education Minister, John O’Dowd, ploughs ahead with the Sinn Fein agenda to remove grammar school choice from parents and pupils. This campaign is carried out in the name of equality; equality of outcome or results, not equality of opportunity. Mr O’Dowd is currently presiding over a Department of Education riven with expensive failures but suggests that his strategy has the welfare of all children in mind. Nonsense.
Watch Michael Gove continue the Conservative Party’s attack on grammar schools. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/andrew_marr_show/9523011.stm
Teacher sacked after speaking at Conservative Party Conference
October 17, 2010
Teachers throughout the United Kingdom will be thinking twice about their current and future employment prospects if they accept invitations to speak at party political meetings.
The Sunday Telegraph are quick to expose the contradiction between political opinion and political action. If Gove can’t protect his own what prospect does he have against the opposition?
What is interesting is the absolute silence of Michael Gove and the Conservative Party. The Teacher’s Party? Really?
Michael Gove over egged his numbers
The Academies Bill has been passed into legislation in Westminster this week. Already it has begun to unravel. http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/jul/29/michael-gove-academy-schools
The Conservative Party (which abandoned support for grammar schools and academic selection in 2007) has now come clean with an unequivocal quote from schools minister Nick Gibb MP,
”We are committed to comprehensive education and this bill will strengthen comprehensive education,”
Nick Gibb MP
he said. “Nor is this bill about scrapping the admissions code. All academies will be bound by the admissions code through the model funding agreement.”
Nick Gibb, said the bill would “grant greater autonomy to individual schools, give more freedom to teachers and inject a new level of dynamism into a programme that has been proven to raise standards for all children.”
Unfortunately for Msrs Cameron, Gove and Gibb the evidence for this claim is lacking.
Perhaps the Conservative Party in general and their “Friends of Grammar Schools” rebel Graham Brady in particular should examine the Northern Ireland experience closely.
When the Education Minister, Sinn Fein’s Caitriona Ruane attempted to end academic selection by withdrawing the official 11-plus parents demonstrated their objections and encouraged the development of a commercial replacement.
The number of pupils entered for the replacement 11-plus test was almost equivalent to the previous 11-plus. Parents were willing to fund the tests themselves. Unfortunately for some parents some grammar school heads have choosen to abandon the principle of academic selection and therefore the basis of grammar schools. Therein lies the dangers inherent in the English Academies Bill. Giving increased powers, without commensurate accountability, to headteachers, could result in disaster. Parents should not be surprised by the behaviour of politicians but should ask themselves about the decision making abilities and incentives behind the decisions of some grammar school heads to sign up for Academy status.
Caitriona Ruane learned a hard lesson. Time for David Cameron, Michael Gove and Nick Gibb to learn theirs too.
Warning on stealth attempt to remove grammar schools
June 25, 2010
The National Grammar Schools, http://www.ngsa.org.uk have issued an urgent warning about the government’s attempt rush to schools into applying for academy status.
http://www.ngsa.org.uk/news-2010-04.php
Stark warning for parents and governors
The Press Association picked up on the detail and now the mainstream media have joined in.
Parents should contact the NGSA or the Board of Governors of their grammar school rather than depend upon headteachers who may have conflicted interests.
The General Teaching Council to go.
June 3, 2010
Michael Gove has decided to remove the General Teaching Council of England and use the resources on frontline education services. Unfortunately Northern Ireland will not benefit from the same “quango cull” approach. The Northern Ireland General Teaching Council suffers from the same bloat but will undoubtedly survive and prosper while schools and learning are subject to Northern Ireland Minister of Education, Caitriona Ruane’s indiscriminate acts.
Parents should visit the GTCNI website and ask themselves if a body without current regulatory powers is worth any more than the ESA which has cost taxpayers millions without actually coming into being.
Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT teaching union, said she had “no doubt” Mr Gove’s decision would be welcomed by teachers.
Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT teaching union, said she had “no doubt” Mr Gove’s decision would be welcomed by teachers.
“I have frequently said that if the GTCE was abolished tomorrow, few would notice and even less would care,” she said.
“Too much time, energy and resource has been frittered away on pursuing projects and issues which duplicated the work of other bodies and did little or nothing to enhance the status of the profession.”
