The start of 2011/2012 academic year is well underway along with the changes the government is proposing for education. The introduction of the ‘Free Schools’ system is looking to give fewer restrictions to schools and, just this week, we have now learnt of the plan to give heads the power to fire teachers who are struggling to meet standards, within a month.
Understandably, some are upset by these proposed changes and it can be a daunting fact for prospective teachers. Especially as the government plans to change the National Curriculum by 2014 and give the new ‘Free Schools’ the option to stray from the National Curriculum altogether.
But how can you measure a poor teacher? Of course, not every teacher starts out as one. The intensity of teacher training courses now will certainly help weed out the incompetent teachers. But, for newly qualified teachers entering the profession, are these changes beneficial for them or the pupils?
According to statistics, teaching in 3% of schools has been deemed ‘inadequate’. In an imperfect country containing over 24,000 schools. It wouldn’t take a competent Maths teacher to see that 3% isn’t a great deal.
And how do you measure success within teaching? Within the school day, there is only so much one can do. With one teacher teaching an average of 25 – 30 pupils in a class, it is difficult to give struggling pupils extra attention and encourage more capable students to reach higher. It’s a professional juggling act and a difficult profession at that.
The government is, of course, right to demand higher standards of education and hold teachers accountable for their bad teaching. But this is an unrealistic venture and will certainly add a greater level of pressure on teaching staff who will be facing huge educational reforms, battling through a new curriculum with new exams and trying to adapt to a ‘Free School’ system; desperately trying to keep the business owners and parents of the school happy.
These changes and tougher measures might go down better if the government allowed tougher measures on themselves when they fail. Because if these changes to education cause more problems than they solve, then entire generations of children could be sorely affected.
