Dear Diary,
The government have released details of the first Schools White Paper since 2016. If the pressure wasn’t already on for teaching staff, this document adds yet another load of inevitable stress. It will also not do anything for the retention crisis that looms over the education system. I believe it will make it worse. For the full summary, click here, but I will discuss key points from the Schools White Paper.
Government Prove Ignorance…Again
Schools will identify children who need help, provide targeted support via a range of proven methods such as small group tuition, and keep parents informed about their child’s progress.
Schools White Paper 2022
What are the “proven methods” the document discusses? Are there any examples for staff to follow? The only proven thing here is the government coming out with a list of “proven methods” that teachers will need to adopt instantly. It seems that the “small group tuition” is going to be actively encouraged despite the National Tutoring Programme proving to be an abject didaster. Why? Because the government continue to put fault with teachers about the state of education instead of looking in the mirror. What do the people who write these documents think teachers do? To act as if teachers do not identify, target and support specific children is an insult to educators.
Government Blame Teachers…Again
The Parent Pledge will support the government’s Levelling Up mission for education, previously set out in the Levelling Up White Paper, for 90% of primary school children to achieve the expected standard in Key Stage 2 reading, writing and maths by 2030.
Schools White Paper 2022
The ignorance of the government is abundantly clear with this statement. They have forgotten a global pandemic forced schools shut. Do they really think that the current national curriculum as it stands fits for this purpose? It does not, as they admit in the next part of the Schools White Paper summary…
In 2019, only 65% of children achieved this standard, with the covid pandemic exacerbating challenges despite the incredible work of parents and teachers during this time.
Schools White Paper 2022
Only 65% passed the Key Stage 2 SATS because the current curriculum is not fit for purpose. There is too much emphasis on the formalities of writing instead of developing a writing voice. When you spend weeks learning about convoluted grammatical constructs, you lose the enjoyment of writing. This is more prevalent in boys than girls. However, the blame for this statistic falls with the government’s poor, uninspired curriculum.
Lofty Targets Unfit For Purpose…Again
The Schools White Paper lists four targets for the education system that they want achieved by 2030.
- Schools will offer a minimum school week of 32.5 hours by September 2023
- Ofsted will inspect every school by 2025, including the backlog of ‘outstanding’ schools that haven’t been inspected for many years
- By 2030 all children will benefit from being taught in a school in, or in the process of joining, a strong multi-academy trust, which will help transform underperforming schools and deliver the best possible outcomes for children
- At least £100m to put the Education Endowment Foundation on a long-term footing so they can continue to evaluate and spread best practice in education across the country
These lofty targets will come at the cost of the education staff on the front line. Unless the government announce salary increases, teaching staff will be expected to work 5 hours extra for free. Will this fix the retention crisis? Absolutely not. Ofsted is also a key focus from the government. This is despite there being calls to remove the draconian body for adding unnecessary pressure at a difficult time. Lastly. the forced academisation of schools will continue to transform education into a robot making factory.
Summary
While the Schools White Paper is necessary, the current government have once again failed to read the room. There are an abundance of issues plaguing schools and this document does nothing more than to insult their intelligence. Education staff are working beyond their set hours with no sign of hope. Money is tight. There is no indication that things will get better. The only thing education staff can do is brace themselves for even tougher times.
From an Ex Teacher