Voice: Statement on Education White Paper

Tuesday, 30 June 2009 12:00 AM

Voice: the union for education professionals has given its reaction to the Education White Paper published today (30 June 2009).

General Secretary Philip Parkin said: "There are a number of innovative measures in this paper, but, given the time needed for consultation and the progress of subsequent legislation through Parliament, their implementation may depend on the date and result of the next general election.

"Substantial government investment will also be required to see these proposals through and it will be interesting to see where ministers propose to find the funds at a time of economic belt-tightening.

"The end of National Strategies should allow flexible, local solutions to meet the needs of individual pupils and enable teachers to use their own professional judgment and training. The strategies have always been recommended, not compulsory, and their removal should give more schools the confidence to use strategies that work for them.

"We would welcome more appropriate early intervention, support for individual pupils and improved home-school agreements, but they must not be at the expense of head teachers' power to exclude pupils as a necessary last resort. We also need to see more detail about enforcement of home-school agreements. They need to be enforced if they are to be taken seriously as a method of raising standards of behaviour, but the relationship between schools and parents is a delicate one.

"We would not like to see parents viewing their children's school as an enemy rather than a friend, with heads pursuing parents through the courts or vice versa. This could end up as a dream for lawyers but a bureaucratic nightmare for head teachers. Heads already have heavy workloads.

"The legal right to personal tuition depends on the recruitment of sufficient tutors. Schools cannot deliver this 'right' or be held accountable if there aren't enough tutors.

"I am appalled that the proposed 'school report cards' will give an overall 'grade'. Like any institution or organisation, a school has strengths and weaknesses across the many aspects of its work. Schools are already the most over-inspected, over-accountable, minutely examined institutions in the country so a 'B plus, could do better' style of mark would be shallow, pointless and meaningless.

"The 'licence to teach' has its merits in raising the professional status of teachers but will be complex and problematic, raising issues over the role of the General Teaching Council.

"The CPD entitlement must be available across the country if teachers are to be judged on this. Good teachers must not lose their licence through no fault of their own.

"The licence must be a measure of quality rather than a bureaucratic burden.

"In addition to CPD entitlement for teachers there must be a corresponding entitlement for support staff.

"Revised structures and arrangements for governance and management of schools will need to make it quite clear where accountability lies in partnerships and chains. The role and responsibilities of the 'executive heads' need to be defined.

"Such partnerships should develop and be consensual rather than be brought about through coercion. Forced marriages would be a disastrous idea. Relationships need time to grow."

ends

Contact: Communications Officer Richard Fraser in the Voice Press Office (pressoffice@voicetheunion.org.uk) on 01332 372 337 or 0794 871 0413, General Secretary Philip Parkin on 01332 372 337 or 077 259 601 32, or Senior Professional Officer (Education) Ian Toone (iantoone@voicetheunion.org.uk) or Principal Officer Deborah Simpson (deborahsimpson@voicetheunion.org.uk) on 01332 372 337.

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