I have always said that Liberal Democrats leader Nick Clegg is less of an arsehole than the other two clowns and that he may even be one of us, a man of the people, because, like most of us, he will never get the chance to run this country and, like the average person on the street, he seems to have no idea as to how far the condition of schooling has deteriorated. As the man at the helm of what is politely described as Britain's third main political party, because there are two others that the voting public can stomach just a little bit more, he is in a position to promise whatever the hell he likes because he will not win an election and therefore his manifesto pledges will never actually be put to the test.
So, I am not surprised to hear that he is threatening to treat us with a "£2.5 billion education package" in the wake of a miraculous Lib Dem victory. Well, my answer would be thanks, but no thanks, because education does not need more money. It is awash with dosh. There are already enough piles of cash floating around school corridors and lots of it is being wasted, wasted on unnecessary tiers of so-called leaderhips teams being paid mind-boggling salaries to hinder rather than help their staff; technology from the realms of science-fiction stories for kids who can touch-type and beat the end of level baddie every time but who can hardly write their names with a pencil and a bit of paper; fancy new buildings with no walls and big, soft chairs to replace the old buildings that were in need of nothing more than a lick of paint and a little bit of respect; and of course too many teaching and non-teaching staff who are, quite frankly, rubbish at their jobs. It would be remiss of me, also, to get to the end of this post/rant without pointing out that zero-tolerance on disruptive, disrepectful, anti-social behaviour costs much less than two and a half billion punds. In fact, it costs nothing at all.
Having said all of that, if Mr Clegg has made cuts elsewhere and now has an urge to splurge the money burning a hole in his pocket on things that might help kids pass those pesky exams, then perhaps he could start by funding parenting classes for the jobless baby-makers who continue to take full advantage of the all-too-easy quids-for-kids system that is sucking the rest of us dry. You didn't go to the class but went to the matinee bingo instead? Fair enough, but no benefits money for you. Next. You went to the class but didn't bother using the techniques you learned so your brats are still a burden to the school? Well, that was your first and last chance to turn things around so no cash for you either. Ever. Problem solved. And it wouldn't have cost me 2.5 billion to set it up.
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17 comments:
Feel rather similar on this side of the alps in Italy.
Not interested in cash. I'm only really interested at this point in stopping the shuffling of the outrageously incompetent or highly unsuitable staff from school to school. You don't need wads of cash to do that.
This week a "bidella" (fulltime dinner lady cum cleaner), with the full knowledge/collaboration of the three teachers present, made a class of 8yo boys strip off their trousers and underwear to see who had had an accident in the loo.
Immediate action was taken. the "bidella" was sent back to the school she was originally transferred from in 2004.
Turns out the original shuffle in 2004 occurred because she was found guilty of extortion (10 month suspended sentence). The nature of the crime was along the lines of "give me ten grand unless you want something to happen to your children".
With the above not creating grounds for dismissal you can imagine what else is going on and to what extent.
If the staff issue ever gets sorted then we need to take a long, hard look at the disaster being caused by making it damn near impossible to fail or exclude students.
But I am not holding my breath.
From your post I get the distinct impression that in the UK education has been reduced to nothing more than a political football, just like here.
Although maybe you have more hope of parents kicking up an almighty great stink.
I hope so, because in the absence of realistic, decisive and informed intervention when half-baked policies fail, the depths to which things can sink is truly soul destroying to have to observe, as both a parent and a teacher.
Wow, are you sure you don't teach in Texas? I could have written this exact post myself. Well said.
Baz- I agree that the Lib Dems and the other, what you call "smaller", parties have the right to exist. Of course they do. We live in what is described as a democracy, afetr all.
However, I disagree that the opinion I expressed about the Lib Dems' manifesto "makes a mockery" out of the people who choose to vote for them. I am simply stating an undisputable fact that that the Liberal Democrat party will never win a general election in this country.
Do you have an opinion on my response to Nick Clegg's announcement?
Sarah- The story about the bidella is absolutely horrendous but, sadly, I am not too surprised by it.
No, there is little hope of parents in this country supporting teachers in their cries for an overhaul of the education system. There is very little public sympathy for and support of teachers, least of all by parents. If they do "kick up a stink," it will certainly not be on our behalf.
Mrs H- Ha! No, I don't teach in Texas. I assume that things are just as bad where you are?
Thank you for the kind words and the encouragement.
I enjoyed reading your post. I admit to sticking my head in the sand when it comes to politics but do feel the frustration when silly decisions that costs lots of money are made to make sure teachers are doing their jobs. Seriously?
Betty- Thank you for taking the time to read and comment on what I have written. I am glad you enjoyed the post.
Baz- I have said on this blog on several occasions that too many staff in schools are paid too much money to do vry little and/or to do big jobs badly. I agree, to a certain extent, that TAs, technicians, etc are probably entitled to better pay. Overall, there ought to be more of a balance. This scenario is not exclusive to the education setor. Having said that, every employee would have been aware of their wages when they said "yes" at the end of the interview and signed a contract. And besides, aren't you a teacher?
As for the Lib Dems, we could (I won't) go backwards and forwards on this issue indefinitely but the undisputable fact is that they will never win an election. You cannot honestly deny this reality.
"How can you say who will or who will not win an election?"
Ladbrokes manage it.
LIB-DEM win 200/1
And that is what the OP pointed to, the freedom of the rank outsider being able to make all sorts of promises, safe in the knowledge that the chances of them having to come through are incredibly slim.
It isn't a slur on the Lib Dems and their supporters personally.
Baz- I don't need a crystal ball to say with absolute certainty that the Lib Dems will not win the forthcoming election.
"I am a firm believer in valuing everyone in society not just those at the top." That is true and is an easy statement to make. Nobody, including me, would disagree that every human being should be valued.
As for your suggestion that "wealth should be redistributed", I will base my response to this unqualified and unsupported statement on the assumption that you are in favour of progressive rather than regressive distribution. I can see an argument for adjusting the amount that can be earned by certain people - footballers, politicians, big bankers, etc - but I am absolutely against the general transfer of money and/or assets, including property, to oher individuals. This would be ridiculous. Besides, the awful beneits system that exists in this country already supports and encourages a certain level of income redistribution.
An interesting post. Any political party that produces some kind of parenting class would have my vote in an instant!
PGCE- You will not be alone in that opinion!
Baz- I have little doubt that, in your head, the Lib Dems have a genuine chance of winning the forthcoming election and therefore you believe that voting for them is worthwhile. I don't see any point in it and the election result will show that I am correct.
I agree that the benefits system provides some positive and much-needed support for some vulnerable people. However, it is a system that is undeniably rife with long-standing problems, one of which is that it is very easy to manipulate and abuse. You have previously mentioned that you have done several jobs over the years, including teaching. Therefore, you have already paid for your health care, to a certain extent, via your tax contributions. The problems arise when the people who are taking the most out of the pot are putting little or nothing in, as is the current situation.
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