Friday 18 April 2014

Letter 130: Parents are becoming enemies of promise now, Dave


"Dear Dave,
There seem to be alot of teachers in Brighton this Easter... It must be the annual NUT Conference. They're rather chipper - do you think they've heard that an increasing number of parents are enemies of promise now, having doubts about Michael Gove's education reforms?
What could be the cause of the growing opposition? The rise in the number of unqualified teachers in state-funded schools? Or maybe that families are being asked to provide contributions for basic materials normally covered by school budgets? Imagine - people struggling to put food on the table and now they have to equip the classroom with pens and paper too! Could it be that voters are angry Michael has approved plans to spend £45 million on a school for just 500 children. That's SIX times the average cost! Any you talked about learning to do more with less!
Public distrust points to your Education Minister's politicising of education and a lack of transparency, I think. Ask David Laws if you don't believe me - he's already said how "challenging and at times disruptive" the "permanent revolution" can be. By the way, why are struggling free schools being earmarked for special attention? Not a leak in the flagship, surely? If only there was a secret document that could explain it all...


Yours with best wishes, etc"




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