Michael Gove axed as Education Secretary

Funny how the countries with the highest ranking education systems in the world are completely the opposite to what Gove was trying to create. Just because it's traditional doesn't mean it's optimal. Traditions get abandoned for things to progress.

Precisely the point I was making.

Reply 61

imtelling

4

Original post by JordanL_

Funny how the countries with the highest ranking education systems in the world are completely the opposite to what Gove was trying to create. Just because it's traditional doesn't mean it's optimal. Traditions get abandoned for things to progress.

China, Singapore, Korea and Japan top the education league tables. These places have very traditional education systems. They use methods of education that have been proven to work. British education relies on untested politically correct fads designed not to produce excellence, but equality of results.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/leaguetables/10488555/OECD-education-report-subject-results-in-full.html

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 62

wheelerc

1

Good, now they just need to stop telling us we're all thick and failing really easy exams (Thanks, Edexcel, for that) and we might actually be getting there.

Reply 63

Moosferatu

19

Original post by democracyforum

Massive child abuse scandal coming.

get rid of the guilty ones so it doesn't affect the Conservative's image that much.

I look forward to the day when Michael Gove and Iain Duncan Smith are marched to the guillotine for their crimes against the children of Britain, to the bloodcurdling jeers of the crowd. Put it in the middle of Liverpool city centre just for the added crack.

N.B. This is a speculative scenario, resting upon the joke that in addition to being awful ministers they both look like nonces.

Reply 64

Fullofsurprises

20

People thinking that Gove was some sort of passionate and genuine advocate of real change in the state school system should think again. He was solely interested in the votes of various groups who felt deprived of their 'choice' of education - in many cases (as vividly shown on C4 last night) this means racist or reactionary and bigoted 'religious' education. Basically the Tory approach is to reach out to religious groups by giving them the schools they want, therefore setting Britain up for decades or centuries of internal religious warfare. After all, it worked so well for Northern Ireland.

Reply 65

Fullofsurprises

20

Original post by Moosferatu

I look forward to the day when Michael Gove and Iain Duncan Smith are marched to the guillotine for their crimes against the children of Britain, to the bloodcurdling jeers of the crowd. Put it in the middle of Liverpool city centre just for the added crack.

N.B. This is a speculative scenario, resting upon the joke that in addition to being awful ministers they both look like nonces.

Gove looks like what he is - a ridiculous posh nerdy policy wonk and someone far too confident in his own sweeping intellectual powers. Duncan Smith looks like what he is - a crook and a con man.

Reply 66

Moosferatu

19

Original post by Fullofsurprises

Gove looks like what he is - a ridiculous posh nerdy policy wonk and someone far too confident in his own sweeping intellectual powers. Duncan Smith looks like what he is - a crook and a con man.

I like it. They're all crooks, but Iain Duncan Smith has the (dis)advantage of looking like one as well. There's no one in British politics who needs a firework up their arse as much as him. Although if Blair re-enters I'll have to amend that.

Reply 67

Drewski

19

Original post by Jacob-C

On asking a teacher if she's happy that Gove has gone: "Well yes, he's just got a face you want to slap hasn't he?"

Original post by carnationlilyrose

I'm so with her on that.

Original post by Fullofsurprises

Gove looks like what he is - a ridiculous posh nerdy policy wonk and someone far too confident in his own sweeping intellectual powers. Duncan Smith looks like what he is - a crook and a con man.

Original post by Moosferatu

I like it. They're all crooks, but Iain Duncan Smith has the (dis)advantage of looking like one as well.

I'm all for criticising people on their actions or their words, but can we please avoid the all-too American practise of lambasting polticians/public figures for what they look like?

If someone instantly disrespected your views/opinions/position simply because of how you looked you'd all go - rightly - through the roof.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 68

username1221160

19

The consensus among all the people I've seen go into teaching over the last few years was that they love teaching but despise Gove. He had a great talent for demoralising an entire profession.

Reply 69

student261

5

A-Level maths does not need to be harder! I wish they'd focus on reforming softer subjects instead of core subjects all the time

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 70

felamaslen

15

I liked Michael Gove until he defended World War One.

Oh, and some of his decisions, while made in (I believe) good faith, were god-awful. Such as eliminating January exams completely.

Hooray he's gone

Original post by Fullofsurprises

Gove looks like what he is - a ridiculous posh nerdy policy wonk and someone far too confident in his own sweeping intellectual powers. Duncan Smith looks like what he is - a crook and a con man.

I never thought I'd hear an Oxford graduate say that, so thank you!

Reply 73

Moosferatu

19

Original post by Drewski

I'm all for criticising people on their actions or their words, but can we please avoid the all-too American practise of lambasting polticians/public figures for what they look like?

If someone instantly disrespected your views/opinions/position simply because of how you looked you'd all go - rightly - through the roof.

A fair point, sir. I was of course just being juvenile.

Reply 74

Llamageddon

18

I'm quite happy with this. As a politician I have respect for him but he should not be put within a thousand miles of education.

Reply 75

Llamageddon

18

Original post by student261

A-Level maths does not need to be harder! I wish they'd focus on reforming softer subjects instead of core subjects all the time

Posted from TSR Mobile

It kinda does. Well, it needs changing. Maths requires too much memorization and not enough thinking.

Reply 76

Drewski

19

Original post by student261

A-Level maths does not need to be harder! I wish they'd focus on reforming softer subjects instead of core subjects all the time

A level maths no longer prepares students for university courses requiring maths (like Engineering) in the same way it used to. Universities are now having to spend time teaching in a degree what used to be taught at school. Those bits need re-adding. Whether or not that'll make it harder is up to the student in question.