Education Bill

The Education Bill
Presented by Secretary Michael Gove
Supported by the Prime Minister,
the Deputy Prime Minister,
Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer,
Secretary Vince Cable,
Sarah Teather, Mr Nick Gibb,
Mr David Willetts and Mr John Hayes.

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“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” Confucious(551 BC-479 BC)
“If you have made mistakes, even serious ones, there is always another chance for you. What we call failure is not the falling down but the staying down.” Mary Pickford (1893-1979)
The Education Bill ("Michael Gove - Falling Down On The Job 1")
The Education Bill ("Michael Gove - Falling Down On The Job 2")
“We want to remove from teachers the fear factor of ending up in court or some disciplinary procedure if they intervene.”

“We need to give teachers more powers to keep order so they can nip bad behaviour in the bud.”

“What we need is to take a step back and say ‘Why is it we as a country have a problem with children’s nutrition and obesity ?’ These are things we can all solve rather than suggesting that teachers solve them for us.”

“Nothing is more important than raising the prestige and esteem of teaching.”

So why does he continue to sanction the ever increasing use of any unqualified person to cover and teach lessons ? His lack of action is undermining teachers and the teaching profession.

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courtesy BBC Radio ‘The Today Programme’ - 27 January 2011

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New Year’s Resolution

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A New Year resolution is a commitment that an individual makes to a personal goal, project, or the reforming of a habit. A New Year’s Resolution is generally a goal someone sets out to accomplish in the coming year.

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Another year has passed and I have not succeeded in my goals. It’s hard to appreciate that almost 1200 days have now elapsed since that dreadful day. I can hardly bear to look back for I have lost everything.

Looking back at 2010, my proudest achievement was to have participated in the recent BBC Radio Lancashire program. I had hoped to do so much more but those challenges are now my goals for 2011.

My partner continues to encourage and support me; without his help, I truly believe that I would have ended my life several years ago. It is the realization that I can never put this mess behind me. When you’ve been found guilty of a crime that you didn’t commit then it just gnaws away at you like a cancer that invades your life. Worse when you know that those who were responsible and accountable cheated, deceived and lied, denying me my right to a fair hearing and justice.

Remember too that this is not an ‘ordinary’ crime, a minor misdemeanour. This a heinous crime, an assault on a child – any assault must be considered serious – but that on a child is contemptuous and deserves the full weight of the law and subsequent punishment.

I have lived through hell, I have experienced the misery and destruction of my life – nobody should suffer in this way, but sadly they do, for I am not alone in my pain. Recent papers are full of stories of teachers who have been sacked for doing their jobs – sacked because of their enthusiasm and commitment to their career.

Everyone cries in outrage about the stupidity, injustice and waste but tomorrow’s headlines soon provide new stories and the misery of that particular teacher’s life is forgotten.

Michael Gove said he would change everything and would support teachers in the future – “The Importance of Teaching”. But he has not done anything to improve the situation – in fact, providing the LEAs and schools with greater powers will make matters worse.

My greatest ambition is to put an end to this nightmare for all teachers. NASUWT have worked on this for 20 years – I, on my own, have tried for 2 years. In two years, I have brought about a parliamentary committee meeting, television and radio interviews and newspaper coverage of the problem. I have exchanged letters with MPs, including David Cameron, Gordon Brown, Michael Gove and others.

In short, an ordinary reception teacher from a humble Chorley primary school has fought harder and with more success than any union or MP.

I want to be heard, I want my case publicly exposed for all to scrutinize – only then can the policy makers begin to appreciate the corruption that exists within our local county councils and schools – only then can we begin to create a new framework that will support teachers and children in the future.