Gove puts democracy ahead of bureaucracy

Chris Edwards

I for one want playgrounds and playing fields. I do not want my children educated in a disused factory.

Dan Grover

Unfortunately, I have a feeling that Gove is one whom will only be appreciated with significant hindsight in text books 20 years from now. Education is vitally important, but the results (in real terms) lag so far behind the policy changes that it's so difficult to accurately attribute various changes.

Marcher Baron

One thing is certain - there'll be howls of horror from the Guardianistas.

Lmck

Grand hospital buildings, like Alder hay, like the new and absolutely brilliant Royal Manchester Children's Hospital? And shiny buildings? It isn't about that! Its about having a good, well equipped, comfortable, learning inductive environment in which to learn, instead of a porta-cabin, or a falling down concrete block with leaks in the ceiling and sinking foundations! And if you are going to compare the Swedish system, AGAIN, please take not that standards have not been raised there, people are not happier with the system, and it should not be a model, as admitted by the "Swedish Ofsted" to work from. This article is so flawed, I fail to comprehend the value of it's publication!

Tom FD

And often half these PFI schemes wind up costing the taxpayer twice the buildings' actual worth - just look at the hospital Labour launched its manifesto in. (And of course they're all listed off-balance sheet, heaven knows how much debt the country is REALLY in...)

Chris Malvern

Fraser Nelson seems to have missed the point, democracy is undermined by inequality.

Alison Charlton

Are good teaching and a reasonable environment mutually exclusive? Many children live in a poor environment. School may be the only place they get to play out, or see plants and animals. Open space is very important. So is good equipment, and a building that is warm - not running with damp or full of asbestos.

Austin Barry

Labour's 'Building Schools for the Future' was surely always based upon an idea by Grigory Potemkin.

Behind the gleaming new facades would remain the reality of poor teaching, declining standards of literacy and behaviour, and the primacy of social engineering workshops of diversity training etc. etc.

So, a good first step by Gove.

Jez

Completely agree.

Why he's spoilt it with the 'Open Door / Open for business' quote last week is quite confusing.

We have so many schools out there that could be brought up to the level of state of the art educational facilities at a fraction of the cost.

In fact a major refurbishment of an existing building would mean you could have a lot more facilities in there and still come in hundreds of thousands lighter that you would on a new-build.

nonny mouse

Michael Gove was really good on Newsnight - totally destroyed Ed Balls arguments.

Michael took the hard questions head on, admitting that cutting school building is not what he wanted, but was needed because of the Labour deficit.

Ed really must learn to lose the smirk when answering questions about serious subjects like cutting the education budget. He comes across as a little boy telling a lie.

Dexey

One of the tweets mentioned IT.
As a teacher I have often wondered if TB had shares in the firms providing 'Interactive Whiteboards'. Great fun fun for playing about but no substitute for traditional ways of learning maths, for instance, in my estimation.
The money spent would have been better used on individual computers for each child. Three children to each clunky desktop and an 'Interactive Whiteboard' at the front does not help in teaching IT.

AndyLeeds

Balls was his usual slimmy self on Newsnight, aided by the Presenter. Gove is quite right. To those who complain about the state of school buildings, Labour were in power for 13 years enough time to fix a leaking gutter. There is no need to embark on a massive building programme, either for schools or hospitals. They could have refurbished existing building far more cheaply.

And needs to happen is to 'privatise' the whole education system. That would destroy the power of idiots like Balls and hand power back to parents where it should have been all along.

Chris lancashire

A succession of headteachers have been trotted out on TV and radio - in the former case with pictures of peeling school buildings in shot - to bemoan nasty Gove and the Tories for stopping BSF. In one case the damage would be to the whole community, another didn't know how he would go in to tell the kids that their lovely new school had been snatched away.
The Coalition are going to have to withstand lots of this pressure as they restore the nation's finances. And it is morally and financially right that this state largesse is reined back and a sensible system of prioritising new schools within the limits of what we can afford is developed.
Fortunately so far the whining of the profession and the Balls aggro have failed to find resonance with the general public. Long may that last.

Wily Trout

In our county, schools have been falling to bits and maintenance funding has been withheld whilst new schools have been being built where the original building was in relatively good condition. No surprise to learn that the schools falling to bits were in the Tory areas and the new schools were built in the marginal/Labour areas. In one case, a brand new school was built that is now only half full and the running deficit is to be top-sliced from all the other better-run and more successful schools. This is the way Labour always pours money into failure whilst starving success.

Steve Tierney

The opposition from the Powers That Be - including Conservative councils and councillors - should not be underestimated.

Choice, market forces, freedom to experiment and innovate - these all sound great to me. I agree with Gove, but I'm finding that many are now indoctrinated and this will be a very tough change to enact.

alexsandr

Apart from the cost, refurbishment preserves our built environment, and also uses less of the planets resources. And less greenhouse gas too if that is important to you.
Not sure how many of these plastic buildings will be fit for purpose when their PFI ends in 25 yrs time....

Dominique

I agree with Fraser on all of this, and think that in order to further direct democracy I hope to see local referendums by local communities put forth on local education issues. This could include allowing for parents to take the amount spent on their child to by the government for education and put it towards the school of their choice. Regardless of if this happens or not, the shift in education has begun in the UK and it is good to see.

Coeur de Lion

Tiny silly illustrative example - with a local building person we built a new classroom at our primary school for half the cost of an 'authorised' LEA contractor, saving much on the 'budget'. But full marks to the LEA for their willing support - checking conformity to building regs etc.

TrevorsDen

There is no 'new schools budget' to cut. The projects are unfunded (even by the projected deficit). Just empty labour promises which lefties refuse to admit to.

later in Newsnight the labour apologist was asked to say what he would cut to pay for the schools. Laughably he eventually said Trident - which is not even a programme yet (and will not be for at least 10 years) and would be a Defence saving even if we did not renew it.

Labour are pathetic. They ruin the economy refuse to apologise for it refuse to acknowledge it and offer no solutions.

They have also forgotten Darlings budget which promised billions in capital expenditure cuts.

TrevorsDen

PS
Dear alexandr .... I do not know who negotiated these PFIs, but if they did a proper job then the whole point of the PFI is to hand over the building in first class condition at the end of the contract. The PFI would normally include for the maintenance of the buildings as well.

All new buildings cost money and all buildings cost to maintain. The problem arises from Labour not providing realistic funding for their grandiose schemes. Thats why we have the deficit.

John Richardson

"The Tories – with the Orange Book Lib Dems – are ushering in a new type of democracy. And one which Balls & Co will like not one bit. "

....and this is the new type of political 'journalism'.

Your above comment reminds me of a twelve year olds language, Mr Nelson.
Your prose, and the level of intellectual analysis here, is almost 'cute'.

'Oh, those Labour chaps are gonna be soooo angry!'
'You just wait and see ! We're gonna take away their Education Toy and they will be soooo cross.'
'It's gonna be great fun!'

Just because the parasitic and corrupt political class prefer to dispense with the tiresome business of politics, why should your readers ?
Why should we pretend to believe in this bogus B.S. 'education revolution' ?
Why should we pretend to believe there has been a 'change' in our rulers when there has been none ?
Why should we lie to ourselves and pretend that Ed Balls is the problem, not 'Inclusion'.

What next Mr Nelson ?

Oh, a 'crackdown on crime', is it ?

Or perhaps a 'crackdown on dole cheats or illegals'?
How exciting.

No...let me guess...'taking a hatchet to red tape'.
That's always a good one.....
That'll shake up Sir Humphrey !

British democratic politics has been destroyed.
The parasitic and destructive political class are responsible.
The MSM journalists are arguably even more parasitic.
I appreciate you have to find ways to pretend that The Will of the People still counts for something; that 'policy' is still connected to 'people'.
However, pretending that we are in a playground is just rubbish.
Telling lies about Party Political anger and feigned outrage is rubbish.
We know they don't give a toss.

NONE OF THEIR CHILDREN ARE INVOLVED YOU SEE ?
GEDDIT ?

So, to distract us from the fact that our country has been stolen from us; I would suggest....

1) Stop pretending 'Balls and Co.' are somehow passionately interested in the State Education of other's children.
It's so false.
If they had wanted to still be in Government, they could have been.
They rejected a Lib. Dem. alliance.

HOW CAN YOU PRETEND TO HAVE FORGOTTEN THIS MR NELSON ?

2)Concentrate upon associating our 'Rule By Parties', with real democracy.
Forget about old tribal rivalries that were born of democratic competition and ideological tension (in part).

3) Focus on isolating anyone who wants to retain a say on how their 'own' Laws are made. Who makes them or why they make them.
Suggest that they are racist or in a small minority.

4) Waste time and mislead people.
Your bogus 'make your own school if you like' policy is excellent for this. But remember , less Party Politics, it only raises awkward questions such as....

'How many politicians, journalists , newspaper columnists or teachers are setting up their own Schools........ZERO!...
How come ?'

....see what I mean?

5) Simply give more honour and awards to Harriet Harman.
That way EVERYONE will know where they stand pretty sharpish.

Even small children.

Jaz

The BSF was not just for building new schools, it was also about refurbishing existing schools. As someone who has worked in education for nearly 20 years, the transformation we have seen in the last 13 years has been a joy to behold. Alas we are returning to where we were before - and then even worse.
The whole Tory education policy seems to be ideologically driven, rather than evidence-based. The inversion of the academy programme has nothing to do with standards and everything to do with politics, the free school movement is based on the Swedish model and has echoes of the US charter schools; neither of which have had an impact on standards.
I very much fear for the future.

Chuck Unsworth

I've been a Governor, Chair of Governors etc at Primary and Secondary schools for well over twenty years. It's my view and experience that quality of teaching is critical, rather than the quality of the built environment.

Gove is absolutely right to highlight the inadequacy of the Competency process. That is where the greatest damage has been done. It has been remarkably difficult to sack incompetent and under-performing teachers - and I include some Headteachers in that observation.

Governing Bodies have been astoundingly weak and compliant, too, but the worst aspect of State Education over the past decade has been the relentless move to the centre. Virtually every aspect of independent thought and motivation has been destroyed by centrist edict and proscription. There has been constant shifting of emphasis and interference, with schools being instructed to take on the additional roles of social work, health work, policing, community service, etc.

Each new Minister (and God knows how many of them have there been) has brought their own political and personal ambition to the post - with little or no regard as to what might be best for the nation or indeed the children themselves. There has been virtually no continuity of policy at all. As a result of all this many schools have lost their way, their character and their spirit.

The move to allow schools greater independence is exactly right. I and many of my colleagues are delighted and refreshed to see this. If it flourishes it will undoubtedly put new heart and confidence into Teachers, Governors and Heads - and reinvigorate the whole of education.

toni

"Labour were in power for 13 years enough time to fix a leaking gutter"
Ah! If only that was all they had needed to do after 18 years of Tory Govt.
To those who support Gove commenting here, a challenge for you, name the school where you have put your own child's name down to attend in the future, name the school your children or grandchildren attend currently.
Let's have some Spekkie transparency eh Fraser, and a full response to question 3.

Chuck Unsworth

@ toni

Astounding ignorance. But perhaps you were educated under the last regime. You now seek to blame Conservatives for the failures of the past decade and more. Does it not occur to you that Labour are actually incompetent? Of course not. They have been truly wonderful, haven't they? All of these Ministers have been top-notch performers and the failure lies with previous Ministers who, naturally, have been utterly useless - because they were Conservatives.

As it happens both of my children went to State schools - but I made damn certain of those schools before sending them there.

As to 'naming' schools - well what's that got to do with you, anyway? Care to start the process - or are you not old enough to have children and/or grandchildren of your own? Certainly seems that way.

Jaz

"but the worst aspect of State Education over the past decade has been the relentless move to the centre"

So presumably then you are against the academy programme, the single greatest landgrab in education in modern times - with every single one of those academies responsible not to locally elected and accountable politicians, but to the single figure of the SoS for Education.

Chuck Unsworth

@ Jaz

All depends on their terms of reference, doesn't it? Care to elaborate on that?

And you seriously believe that locally elected 'and accountable' politicians have the slightest ability? Not in my experience, they don't.

If you want real accountability you devolve that to the consumers - via decent Governing Bodies with boots on the ground. Gove is not advocating the removal of Governors, is he? Frankly I'd rather be accountable to a half way intelligent Secretary of State than to the astoundingly cretinous 'Cabinet Members' with responsibility for education that I have seen in too many local authorities.