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Are 'academies' a good idea?

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
http://education.guardian.co.uk/policy/story/0,15572,1600415,00.html

So Blair and Kelly seem set on creating these so-called 'academies'.

The idea seems to be to make every school independent with some degree of seperation form the LEA, power to tailor the curriculum, more 'parent power' to make decisions etc

Basically schools are to be made more independent.

Is this a good idea?

Personally I am very unclear as to what this is meant to achieve.

Ruth Kelly doesn't seem to talk English, she talks Management speak, i.e. bollocks, and Blair is almost as bad.......

I am sure this scheme will be an expensive waste of time, like ID cards and a whole other raft of Labour policy

Comments

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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    No, its not a good idea.

    It allows rabid homophobic cunts like Reg Vardy to get their hands on our kids.
    It brings in yet more selection in schools- so the weaker children have to travel further, and don't get access to the new schools.
    It brings in yet more economic subjugation into the education system, because it's rare its the rich kids who fail the entrance exams and get bussed miles across the fucking city.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    First step to privatisation of the education system.
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    Teh_GerbilTeh_Gerbil Posts: 13,332 Born on Earth, Raised by The Mix
    Bad idea really.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Blagsta wrote:
    First step to privatisation of the education system.

    uh huh

    the government seems to think businesses know exactky how to run schools when they necessarily don't

    they seem to think good schools = all As for exam results

    idiots
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    Teh_GerbilTeh_Gerbil Posts: 13,332 Born on Earth, Raised by The Mix
    they seem to think good schools = all As for exam results

    Yeah, all I got pushed for at school - dont need to understand - just get the grade. Only History was otherwise - we had a good teacher.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    http://education.guardian.co.uk/schools/story/0,5500,1600797,00.html

    Seemingly confirming the idea that business and 'faith groups' will be getting in on the act......

    To be fair Kermit I haven't seen anything about wider use of entrance exams under these plans.......

    Teachers don't like it either, maybe that should tell the govt something.

    How exactly are they going to have differing curriculums as well, surely there are still going ot be national exams.....
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Parents dont want academies, or new posh names or any of this other crap. They want a good local school to send their kids too, its really pretty simple.

    Scrap all this tinkering, make inspections of schools simple, un-planned and un-announced and then help the ones which arent good enough.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    More state grammar schools would be a better idea. Of course grammar schools have their disadvantages, one being that the 11+ probably isn’t a particularly effective way of selecting and in areas with grammar schools the secondary moderns’ often seem to have far less funding and resources than the grammar schools, the secondary modern also always ends up being viewed as inferior to the grammar school. I think the German model is something like at 11 or 12 children either go to a more academic school or a school focusing more on vocational skills but the more academic school isn’t viewed as superior…they’re viewed as different and doing different functions.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    oooh i just did some research on this for a small presentation at uni. personally i don't agree with them, they can hire teachers that aren't even fully qualified and that haven't registered with the general teaching council - not right, imo. also like has been said before, because they're part funded by local business/faith groups (etc), it means that they have some power over the curriculum that the school teaches. a bit scary really!
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    they can hire teachers that aren't even fully qualified and that haven't registered with the general teaching council - not right, imo.

    That's quite widespread already, look into the role of 'classroom assistants', they are basically cheap un-trained teachers.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    bongbudda wrote:
    That's quite widespread already, look into the role of 'classroom assistants', they are basically cheap un-trained teachers.


    yeh, i guess..although in that case surely there's normally a qualified teacher actually 'teaching' the class?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    yeh, i guess..although in that case surely there's normally a qualified teacher actually 'teaching' the class?

    Ha ha! Oh, sorry, you're serious. Yes, that is indeed the idea, but its not like that now and the role of classroom assistants is being expanded.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    bongbudda wrote:
    Ha ha! Oh, sorry, you're serious.


    how do you mean? :(

    they're also meant to be helping to bring communities in deprived areas together, quite how..i'm not sure.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    how do you mean? :(

    they're also meant to be helping to bring communities in deprived areas together, quite how..i'm not sure.

    It was just your thought that classroom assistants are just that, some one in the back ground to help the teacher, when in reality they are the teacher in a lot of cases.

    I've not heard that claim about them bringing communities together, maybe it brings parents together to complain about un-trained people teaching their kids.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    try http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/ if you really want to know more. :p
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    try http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/ if you really want to know more. :p

    Dont you think that site might have a bias?

    I know what the role is designed tp do, but it is in reality a faux teacher.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    For perhaps the first time I can say with some conviction that I'm glad to live in Wales.

    This reform sounds very geared towards London or the big cities in general, what about those in the sticks who cannot realistically go anywhere but their local school?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    bongbudda wrote:
    Dont you think that site might have a bias?


    again, fair point. you're so much wiser than me. :crying:

    though i do study social policy so need to be using the correct sites. :p

    apparantly there were also concerns that only the children of wealthy parents would be able to attend. strange when you say that they're meant to help those in deprived areas!
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    apparantly there were also concerns that only the children of wealthy parents would be able to attend. strange when you say that they're meant to help those in deprived areas!

    As always these proposals will help those with the knowledge, money and power to get the best for their kid.

    New Labour may talk about making schools more mixed, but it definately does not want lots of middle class parents annoyed because their little darling is mixing with the wrong sort.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    A follow up from yesterday:
    Private firms poised to run state schools after reform

    Christian groups in talks to take over from local education authorities

    Private education companies and Christian groups are lining up to enter the education market created by yesterday's pivotal reforms of the state school system.
    A company which runs 60 low-cost independent schools, GEMS, said it was discussing the creation of a charitable arm allowing it to enter the "new state schools' market". The Christian group the United Learning Trust, which is already the biggest single sponsor of schools in the academy programme, also confirmed it was in talks with one local authority about eight or nine state schools.

    http://education.guardian.co.uk/schools/story/0,5500,1600797,00.html

    Fucking wonderful :rolleyes:

    Well, it looks as if the Creationists and ID supporters might get their way after all...
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    Teh_GerbilTeh_Gerbil Posts: 13,332 Born on Earth, Raised by The Mix
    Aladdin wrote:
    A follow up from yesterday:



    Fucking wonderful :rolleyes:

    Well, it looks as if the Creationists and ID supporters might get their way after all...

    Poor old Britain is so down the tubes... such a crying shame.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    if i could have my way:
    - i'd get rid of grammar schools but introduce compulsory streaming after 1st year of 2ndry school in core subjects, and then stream at 14+ in non core subjects
    - scrap league tables of exam results and only have the 'value added' results which is far more worthwhile and for parents, as theyre not told the average end grades won't base as much blind faith in it and should find out more about the schools ethos etc
    - id keep english maths, science and a language as compulsory however let schools decide what exactly they teach ie more applied maths or actually teach academic maths, what books they teach and start teaching another languages from the age of 7.
    - when the student is 14, they do say 10/11 subjects(which includes the core subjects) as per usual at the moment. HOWEVER they don't have to take exams in all of them but have the option at the end of the 1st GCSE year in whether they'll do the exams in it(after mocks) - but ALL their teachers compile a final school report which potential apprencticeship supervisor/colleges(vocational or academic) can see.
    - the non-core optional subjects are 'catagorised' so you have to do some mix of catagories like the IB (but leave the various exam boards to decide themselves, but give the schools themselves some say (like 40%) in how the exam board operates)
    - you can leave school at 16, but until 18 you have to be doing something even if just part time that broadens your horizons so to speak so no working in mcdonald full time or up a chimney :p
    - punish schools for shoddy bullying policy

    obviously i'd provide the funding for this which wouldn't be too much more, its mainly a case of restructuring


    ps and id stop the PPPs that have left schools with only reheating prepared food facilities
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