This makes me want to punch something.

[denny]

The review is the biggest independent inquiry into primary education in four decades, based on 28 research surveys, 1,052 written submissions and 250 focus groups. It was undertaken by 14 authors, 66 research consultants and a 20-strong advisory committee at Cambridge University, led by Professor Robin Alexander, one of the most experienced educational academics in the country.

Last night the review's conclusions were backed by every education union in England, but rejected by ministers ...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/oct/16/schools-report-critical-of-labour

Dear government. When you hire a team of experts to look into something, and they make recommendations, based on actual facts, would it not be an idea just once to actually follow those recommendations, instead of completely ignoring them because they don't agree with your personal prejudices or your stupid populist desperate vote-grabbing agenda?

ARGH! HULK SMASH!!

Comments

[hythloday]

But if they unreservedly accept these reports "just because" they're from experts then all they've done is exchange one set of biases and agenda for another, more technocratic one. Given that they were elected, however much you and I don't like it, imho they have a democratic mandate to persue their personal prejudices and fucking stupid populist desperate vote-grabbing agenda.

[denny]

Hrm. Doesn't that same logic say that once the MPs choose a team of experts to investigate something, the MPs have given the experts a political mandate to drive the policy outcome?

I for one would welcome our new technocrat overlords. For a while, anyway :)

[sevenhelz]

Dear Government. Quit being fuckheads.

Yeah, don't think it's gonna work.

[pooloftrees.livejournal.com]

I must admit when I heard about this on the radio, I thought "well, that was a waste of money if they are going to ignore the findings and recommendations". I mean, if you look at other countries education systems and the skills and abilities of those taught through that system, I mean: "...It notes that other countries do not start academic lessons until children are six or seven, and most overtake England in performance at some point as the children grow older."

I'm sure many teachers would agree that SATs really don't help with learning, it means they are teaching students to pass a test, not how to learn and the skills they'll need for life.

Something that wasn't mentioned in that article, but was on the radio was that, for most of the examined countries at least, class sizes are more like 20 per teacher, rather than the UK average of about 30. That also makes a difference for how much time the teachers can spend on assisting and matching their teaching to each student.

[hythloday]

I don't think so, no, I imagine the report is commissioned with a mandate of "tell me more about this, possibly things I don't know". I'm not even sure that politicians can be empowered to transmit a mandate, really.