Cover story - January 30, 2012 issue
The Commons Education Committee was ‘overwhelmed’ with responses when it asked the public to send questions via Twitter for education secretary Michael Gove, who faces questioning by the committee this week.
But committee chairman Graham Stuart rejects suggestions that the committee was effectively asking people to do the MPs’ work for them.
He told the BBC 5 Live Breakfast programme: ‘It is one more way of trying to break down the barriers between one man at his desk in Whitehall who is in charge of the whole education system and people out there who are on the receiving end.
‘If we can do that in a small way, I hope it will make people feel part of the democratic process and also make us better able to do our job of defending and speaking up for people out there who have to live with government policy.’
He added: ‘We have been overwhelmed by how many [questions] there have been… For the last few days, there have just been hundreds and hundreds and ultimately thousands, I think.’
The BBC website says there have been questions on issues ranging from teacher support and careers advice to academies and free schools, a new national curriculum and staff morale.
Other subjects raised include the future of special needs education and vocational training in England.
‘What we want to do by using Twitter is to ensure the questions are succinct and we can focus on the issues and areas that people out there – whether they are parents, teachers or people involved in social care – want to raise,’ said Stuart.
MPs will ultimately decide which questions to put to the education secretary at Tuesday’s hearing.
Cover story - January 23, 2012 issue
The Department of Education’s decision to ‘name and shame’ local authorities with the lowest take-up of its approved synthetic phonics products is ‘extraordinary behaviour’, says National Union of Teachers general secretary Christine Blower.
The Department says any state-funded school with KS1 pupils can claim up to £3,000 to buy approved phonics products and training.
Schools minister Nick Gibb said: ‘This is a chance for schools to gain extra funding to improve reading standards so I am naturally concerned at the number of areas where few schools have not yet taken the opportunity to do so. Every week that goes by is another week that children are missing out on the best possible teaching of reading.’
But last summer, the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Education raised concerns that matched funding (£1 for every £1 a school spends on phonics resources and training up to a total £6,000 spend) would push cash-strapped schools in the direction of synthetic phonics over other resources. Its report said: ‘There should be no government prescription of resources, and funding should be given directly to the professionals to deal with their school’s literacy issues.’
Christine Blower said: ‘As with the academies programme, the Government is determined that all those authorities and schools which do not see the merits of synthetic phonics will be bullied, harassed, named and shamed until they feel they have no choice but to accept.
‘This is extraordinary behaviour from a department whose ministers have made much of trusting the profession and allowing those who know to get on with it.
‘Synthetic phonics is one way of teaching reading, but it is not the only one.’