Can it only be last week that Labour’s deranged multiculturalist guru Peter Hammond announced:
he believed school was a place we went for the opportunity to meet other cultures that lived around us.
But oh dear. What a shock. How could it be? Somehow it turns out that a huge proportion of parents in the city appear to be declining Hammond’s kind offer of enforced Diwali celebrations, DJ workshops and homophobia awareness lessons for their children in favour a proper education instead.
The Cancer reports today that Bristol’s parents are overwhelmingly voting with their feet and that over 40% of kids in the city are now being educated without the involvement of Hammond’s daft and incompetent education authority. 20% of kids are traveling to other authorities for their education, we learn, and a whopping 20% of kids are now being educated privately in the city.
So even if you want the opportunity for your children “to meet other cultures that live around us”, it ain’t happening in Bristol I’m afraid.
Hammond’s sidekick, Labour’s education supremo Derek Pickup – who’s personal preference is for “learning through play” (no really, we’re not making this up) – has been wheeled out to offer an explanation for this abysmal state of affairs.
He seems to think that more parents are beginning to put their faith in the city’s schools. Yes Derek, of course they are. You and Hammond both inspire faith don’t you?
Blogger says, ‘Somehow it turns out that a huge proportion of parents in the city appear to be declining Hammond’s kind offer of enforced Diwali celebrations, DJ workshops and homophobia awareness lessons for their children in favour a proper education instead.’
There is a lot of work to do to improve Bristol’s schools (an understatement perhaps) but this Blogger statement is pretty tabloid to say the least.
Will Blogger offer us his description of a ‘proper education’? And how best to achieve it in Bristol’s schools?
Unfortuneately its all too easy to criticise those who have been and are supposed to be running Bristol’s schools (though in truth its central government that dictates most of what goes on – a major part of the problem in my view).
Vowles
Education in Bristol is crap, it was crap when Bristol was part of Avon. And if things stay as they are they will stay crap.
Bristol in terms of improvement is 63rd out of 115 in terms of improvement since 1998. On all of the Renewal Floor targets Bristol is below average.
I don’t want much average will do.
Yes, its crap. Where does Blogger suggest we head and how is my point though.
Vowlsie:
The facts are simple but are never going to be accepted by the overwhelmingly white, middle class, middle aged liberal political class of this city such as yourself. The problem with education in the city is systemic.
And the system that’s has failed is the comprehensive multiculturalist one. It’s no good saying we need to work harder – one more heave eh? – the system is fucked.
That might be “tabloid” but 40% of parents have already voted with their feet. and you can bet your ass there’s another 30% that’d like to.
Nobody – except yourself – is buying Hammond’s soppy social engineering projects and Derek Pickup’s missus marching around on £60k a year hectoring our children about homo-fucking-phobia.
Why do you defend this utter nonsense? That seems pretty Guardianista to me.
As for what I’d do. I’ve already proposed black schools but personally I’d more-or-less legitimise what’s happening anyway in and around Bristol and bring in a Swedish-style voucher scheme.
Autonomous schools – no LEA – parental choice. How long would the Hammond/Pickup/Vowles social engineering institutions last d’ya reckon?
Here’s what I’d go for – wholly state funded education – no opt out for grammars or any other bloody nonsense, faith or whatever. Just broad, inclusive, accessible schools, in every community. Teachers who give a shit about young people and learning – not tied down by government imposed lesson plans or fucking targets (SMART targets for 5 year olds anyone, I fucking ask you). But equally not allowed to get away with being workshy assholes with no interest in young people (my 13 year old son and his class spent an hour in DT last week sanding a random piece of wood each – inspirational or what). Decent buildings, equipped properly, funded adequately. A broad curriculum that values the vocational alongside the academic. Education that encourages independent thought and challenge. Bizarrely, they seem to have cracked it in most of europe (and mates from finland and denmark who have come here with school age kids are frankly appalled at what they find). But here it’s too much too ask – I know you’ll all think I’m a mad utopian bastard with no grip on reality – but fuck it, I can but dream.
Blogger – not so hot on accuracy are you mate, perhaps this serves your purpose.
For the record, on education in Bristol, I’ve said above: ‘ Yes, its crap.’ and before that said ‘There is a lot of work to do to improve Bristol’s schools (an understatement perhaps)…’. Can you explain to me how this is defending Hammond and Pickup?
My observation that you spend an awful lot of your time on this blog saying what you dont want and what is crap and very little time presenting what you do want instead is not even remotely like defending what we have. So, please dont put me in the same group as the Labour fools on the council.
I agree with quite a bit of what old misery guts has said about schools. I’m also interested in the Swedish approach you mention. What do you think of what misery guts said?
By the way, you have not really addressed my specific point about you being ‘pretty tabloid’ (I selected one part of your posting in particular). It still appears that you dont want children to be taught about each others cultures (see your ‘enforced Diwali celebrations’ ref) and also dont want homophobia tackled through education (see your ‘homophobia awareness lessons’ ref). Is this right? Is the promotion of mutually tolerant and respectful attitudes towards people of all kinds part of your ‘proper education’ vision or not?? Surely this can be done in a way which is not ‘social engineering’ or forced upon people? I dont see much evidence that parents are rejecting the promotion of respect, rather they are tending to go where exam results are better.
You have a go at the LEA but aren’t they just the people who do what central government tells them to do at the moment? Thus focus some venom on the Brown government too.
Here’s the liberal left, as usual, dressing up political views, a social agenda and a relativist outlook as inarguable and self-evident truths, which they can then ram down our kids’ throats
Whose tolerance and respectful attitudes are you proposing to teach? Liberal leftie icon Ken Livingstone’s? Where we must tolerate and respect sexist, homophobic, anti-semitic, medievalist loonies such as Hamas and Hezbollah?
It is not the job of education to promote anything, least of all highly politicised messages presented in the deviously neutral language of culture, respect and tolerance.
There are clear and obvious limits to culture, respect and tolerance. That’s what needs to be understood and the way to understand this is through knowledge, rigour and fundamental skills, not twee sermons from cultural relativists delivered from on high.
everyone but vowles spot on. this city has had this pile of shit education sysem far to long.
Bloggers comments seem to clearly indicate he does not want issues of mutual tolerance and respect dealt with by education at all!! Quite an admission, perhaps even one that might put people off reading his site if he practised it in his site management. His is an extreme position which I think the vast majority of people would not stomach.
There is a legitimate issue about how its done but as for whether it should be done at all I think people clearly would want mutual respect and tolerance promoted. The individual and community consequences of mutual intolerance and disrespect are very serious after all, so surely open and free discussion is very important? So the focus should be how to get open and free discussion.
There may well be ‘limits to culture, respect and tolerance’ but unlike Blogger I think they are far from being ‘clear and obvious’ at all times. The ‘black and white world’ inhabited buy Blogger is not the real one I’m afraid.
What is Blogger’s policy on intolerant and disrespectful commenters on his site ? What values does he think he is promoting by operating his policy?
He’s not promoting anything, he’s just a bone-clone whinger…
Vowlsie I said:
This is not the same as:
Is it?
Can I suggest you now engage with the issue, which is how as a multiculturalist and relativist you critically evaluate these cultures you love so much? Which ones are in and which ones are out? And who decides? White middle class, middle aged males presumably?
The truth is I do not give a flying monkies about the educational “vision” for Bristol. I just want the kids of Bristol to have the same life chances as other children in the UK. I just want the system in BS to provide the kids with choices to get a good job, stay on at school or college and for some to go on and get a degree.
At the moment all the bullshit can not hide the fact that if you send your kid to a school in Bristol s/he has less chances at 16, has a greater likihood of bunking off and being excluded from school.
We get our values from our family friends and community and anyone who says otherwise is a liar or a fool.
Schools can change society they reflect it, what they can do is educate children to make something from their skills and potential unless you send your kids to school in Bristol.
Blogger: who (or what processes) should define the ‘limits to culture, tolerance and respect’ that you feel are so clear and obvious?
The problem with your position is that its inconsistent and internally contradictory. You want, you claim, mutual respect and tolerance, but dont want the notion promoted. Huh?!
You say ‘There are clear and obvious limits to culture, respect and tolerance. That’s what needs to be understood and the way to understand this is through knowledge, rigour and fundamental skills, not twee sermons from cultural relativists delivered from on high.’ but also say ‘It is not the job of education to promote anything…’.
Now, I dont want anyone’s particular view on what constitutes mutual tolerance and respect promoted in schools but I very strongly do want a balanced consideration of the notions of tolerance and respect delivered as a central feature of education. Dont you?
How else would you suggest the ‘limits to culture, respect, and tolerance’ would be reasonably established if not through education? You say ‘That’s what needs to be understood and the way to understand this is through knowledge, rigour and fundamental skills’. Knowledge, understanding and skills acquired how, if not through teaching and learning??
I seem to have come back to what I’ve been saying all along – its not whether to promote mutual tolerance and respect in schools but how it is done isn’t it?? I’d like to to see schools approaching the issue lead by young people themselves, with facilitation by teachers not prescription. Isn’t this something to agree on?
When I went to school in Bristol, around 25 years ago, we weren’t taught “tolerance and respect”. It was something that was taught at home by my parents.
They used the age-old adage of “do unto others”. It might sound old-fashioned but it’s as relevant today as it was then.
Therefore, throughout my life I take people as I find them, regardless of who they are, what they look like and where they come from.
I was a secondary school teacher for a few years and one thing that turned kids off in their droves and proved to be a waste of time was lessons like “Citizenship” and “Personal, health and moral education” and the like.
At the end of the day you’re indoctrinating kinds with a set of value judgements made up from the worldview of a particular section of society, in this case white, middle-aged liberals. For the majority of kids, this is less than important.
Vowles makes a point that I have to strongly disagree with:
“You have a go at the LEA but aren’t they just the people who do what central government tells them to do at the moment? Thus focus some venom on the Brown government too.”
All other schools in England have to toe the same line, so how do you explain Bristol’s abject failure?
It’s not the Government, although their education policies are far from perfect, it’s failing and failed officers and leadership at the LEA. This has been the case for close on a generation now.
Other cities have managed to raise educational attainment (and provide decent public transport) but Bristol can’t.
My solution? It will never happen, but here goes:
1,Abolish the LEA.
2, Replace it with an independent Bristol School’s Board consisting of academics, educators and a sprinkling of business people.
3, Abolish choice. You go to your local school. Or you go private. No commuting over local authority boundaries. All local schools should be good enough to provide a decent education.
4, Concentrate RELENTLESSLY on the basic skills that equip young people to make a success of their lives. English, Maths, Science, IT, Geography, Foreign Languages, Vocational Skills. No mandatory, R.E, Citizenship, PHCE etc etc. These are luxuries that are affordable when you’ve got the basics right.
5, Retain and expand Special Schools and Pupil Referral Units for disruptive kids and non-attenders. Schoolchildren who want to learn MUST be allowed to. Those that don’t need their own provision, but not at the expense of other’s education.
6, Strict internal streaming. We’re not all born with equal talents and abilities. Fast learners need to be allowed to learn fast and slow learners, slow.
7, Clear, unimpeachable rules and discipline. For example, no mobile phones in School. No leaving the school grounds during the day for under-sixteens.
8, Reduce the influence of parent-governors and cement the Head Teacher’s position of authority. Parents are there teaching the children, teachers are. Parents should teach tolerance, respect etc etc at home, teachers should be allowed to teach unhindered at school.
This approach may well result maybe 20% of kids dropping out, or leaving education with low levels of attainment. But it will give the other 80% a damn good chance of having a decent education.
That’s got to be better than the almost 70% failure rate that we get now.
The 5th line up from the bottom should of course read “Parents aren’t there teaching the children, teachers are.”
I agree with some of what you propose but I cant see how you can deny that its central government that dictates what now goes on in schools. They not only dictate what is taught but also increasingly how its taught and in what kind of establishments. Crucially, they control general availability of money and also make available money for specific uses only. Having said this I agree with you that we do have weak leadership and officers locally, so even with government dictates we should still be doing better.
You’d have to go back decades to find more powerful LEAs however.
Personnally I would not centre education on a narrow range of subjects but on developing the talents and interests of pupils in a pupil-focussed approach. We have the technologies to facilitate a much more individualised approach now.
I dont myself favour the ‘teaching’ of things like citizenship separately – it is best done in an integrated way eg incorporated through exercises in key subject areas. One of the problems with a subject-centred approach is that we’d all have different lists of ‘basic’ subjects eg in your list Bluebaldee, you dont have History, or Music, or Art, or PE…
mutual tolerance and respect should be taught to those power holders. its a pretty clear example of how little they care for people who cant afford private education, there are quite a lot here that cant but want to do the best for their kids and get them in but its a struggle.if we had a couple of ounces more democracy than the pitance we do have such divides wouldnt happen….but less talk more action.
I’m largely with Vowlsie on this one. You are living in a dream world if you think the LEA has any control over what happens in schools.
See my post here:
http://bristolgreengage.blogspot.com/2007/11/bristol-schools-mythbuster.html
agreeing with Bluebaldee on this one, 100%
Pingback: Education and the LEA: reform or revolution? « The Bristol Blogger
Greengage look at LEas where there is a clear vision, leadership and mechanisms to apraise teachers and schools well. They have successful schools. I would say in Bristol the LEa appears to attempt to exercise some cintrol, but its both wrong and often ignored.