New Education Secretary (not David Laws, but Michael Gove)

Discussion of all things non-11 Plus related

Moderators: Section Moderators, Forum Moderators

Post Reply
11 Plus Mocks - Practise the real exam experience - Book Now
sherry_d
Posts: 2083
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2009 4:38 pm
Location: Maidstone

New Education Secretary (not David Laws, but Michael Gove)

Post by sherry_d »

What do you make of the new children's secretary? I really dont know much about him but he seems well respected.

I would have loved to see Michael Gove, but I hope they have made some agreement to make sure we see what Tories had in mind too in the schools. It will be interesting to see what they have agreed on. However going by the manifestos here is what I think

The Tories

1. I believe genuine choice in education is a fantastic way of achieving social mobility and as parents we should be able to more choice in making decisions rather than central governent. It only takes a handful very motivated parents/teachers to start on the road to setting up a new school, given the right support from government. Most of the new schools won’t be set up by parents alone, but federations consisting of dedicated new school charities and experts with real experience.

2. Also they’re committing to keeping SATS at KS2 which is Year 6 11year olds (and making them ‘more rigorous’ whatever that means), and to keeping league tables. This is great and it to have keep the testing at the end of primary education. I am a staunch opposer of the current KS1 testing at 7years, its ridicoulous to have such an early test and these will not be very meaningful as some kids particularily boys tend to develop much later than girls.

3. Headteachers and teachers will be given more power. The current system favour bullies and headteachers have a lot of bureacracy to go through to discipline these disruptive kids. Given more control of what happens in their backyards they should be able to have more control of what happens in the class.

The Lib Dems on the other hand propose the following

1. They propose to reduce class, while that sounds great on paper that will by far not solve the issues. Some of the succesful and highly sought after school are heavily subscribed. One school that I know and shall call it school A is very successful and yet of the two Year 1 classes they have are using porter cabins and each class is full and that means 60 in total. Reducing each class to 20 means only 40 places left so where would the 20 go to. That means they need to create more schools or expand their current schools. Something they havent said they would do

2. They are poposing a pan-examination to replace GCSEs AND A’levels ???, SEN tests for 5 year olds (thats a bit of a waste of money children really do develop at different rates – and it might prove destructively self fulfilling for some children and families).


I wonder what will come out of this coalation.
Impossible is Nothing.
Loopyloulou
Posts: 878
Joined: Fri Aug 29, 2008 5:20 pm

Post by Loopyloulou »

I have to say I've been very impressed. He is highly intelligent and really rather pleasant. Public school and Oxbridge, I think he'll be very good news. One would never guess at his fatal character flaw.
Last edited by Loopyloulou on Tue Aug 09, 2011 2:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Loopy
sherry_d
Posts: 2083
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2009 4:38 pm
Location: Maidstone

Post by sherry_d »

Loopy hearing that from you I am sure he must be good and a big relief after Ed Balls :D :D :D
Impossible is Nothing.
Sassie'sDad
Posts: 459
Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 3:36 pm
Location: Rugby

Post by Sassie'sDad »

I think it is a very shrewd move, simply reflects the extraordinarily audacious and potentially revolutionary approach of Cameron and his advisers to contemporary British Politics.
Cats12
Posts: 341
Joined: Fri Oct 02, 2009 1:51 pm

Post by Cats12 »

It will be interesting viewing some in the new cabinet that we hardly know. But one thing we do know for sure is that regardless of party many will have been public school educated, oxbridge (or top unis) and they will all 'know' each other.
The establishment, whether politics, business, media etc....is a fairly small environment so while the new education secretary may be unkown to us, he and Balls will know each other, they're both oxbridge and probably have more similarities than differences.
Josa
Posts: 224
Joined: Mon Apr 28, 2008 10:57 am

Post by Josa »

Michael Gove confirmed as Education Secretary.

"Tory Michael Gove was seen as one of the brightest talents in the 2005 intake. The former Times journalist is a key member of David Cameron's inner circle who helps write many of his speeches.

As the Tories' housing spokesman, Mr Gove made a name for himself as an effective Commons performer in attacks on the government's home information packs.

He was drafted into the shadow cabinet, as children, schools and families spokesman, at the age of 39 when his leader split the education brief in two to reflect Gordon Brown's Whitehall changes.

Mr Gove headed the Policy Exchange think tank for three years before landing the safe seat of Surrey Heath.

He had previously said he was prepared to give up a post in the new Cabinet to ensure the deal with the Lib Dems went ahead, but he sticks with the education brief in government."
Amber
Posts: 8058
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:59 am

Post by Amber »

Need to rename the thread now, happily!
yoyo123
Posts: 8099
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: East Kent

Post by yoyo123 »

he's been in post half a day and so far no new "initiatives"... a good start!
sherry_d
Posts: 2083
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2009 4:38 pm
Location: Maidstone

Post by sherry_d »

The post looks a bit silly now.

Next time I shouldnt listen to everything the press says :oops:
Impossible is Nothing.
hermanmunster
Posts: 12817
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Post by hermanmunster »

Theyv'e changed the name from department of curtains and soft furnishings back to the department for education
Post Reply
11 Plus Mocks - Practise the real exam experience - Book Now