This post kind of harks back to something I’ve been complaining about for, and it’s an issue that is really starting to concern me. I have some bright kids in my class, and some totally hopeless ones. They both need attention. But plans to take even more money from the Gifted and Talented programme and give it to bright kids from deprived backgrounds (again) seems to show that there is only one group of interest to politicians.

We have so many initiatives and schemes already in place for the kids from deprived backgrounds; special reading groups and measures with one-to-one tutoring. Extra funds and rewards for those pupils who acheive that crucial C grade at English or Maths. We talk about our ‘deprived kids’ in staff meetings, and attend lectures on social mobility. But I can’t remember the last time I heard someone say something about ensuring some our brightest kids achieve the best they can. In fact the general consensus is that they’re likely to get an A or a B, so why bother? They’ll be fine; we’ll hit our league table targets. All is good.

This attitude is failing kids in exactly the same way that we are always accused in the press of failing kids from deprived backgrounds. These bright kids have a certain potential, and we are not pushing them to fulfil it for fear of not doing enough for the less able pupils. It’s like some kind of inverted elitism. When did we stop caring about being the best and just settle with, that’ll do?

At a desperate loss for inspiration this morning, (last night there might have been some marking, some reports, some crashing of a certain not to be named laptop, and a small instance of temper losing). So I am defaulting to the genius of someone else who feels as passionately confused, frustrated and excited by education as me….and interrogating the hell out of them. Sort of.
 
Ben Barton has been in educational publishing for the past 18 years; he’s started a couple of companies, worked for large organisations and now consults and enthuses about all things education. He’s been working as a tutor and teaching assistant for the past couple of years; and he has a great blog called: www.keystone-education.co.uk/blog.

So, Ben, what excites you about education?
What really excites me is how technology can move our students on further and faster than at any time before. I’m also excited about the New Primary Curriculum, www.teachmeet.org and a generation of teachers who are better trained and more visionary than at anytime before.
 
And what concerns you?
What really concerns me as we enter an election campaign is the fact that while we expect teachers to be experts we plainly have generalists at the head of our education system. Be it David Laws, Ed Balls or Michael Gove at the DCSF we haven’t got an expert, merely a career politician on the way up or down. I think we should go the USA route and allow the PM to hire the best of the best to support our teachers.
 
What one thing could the government do to improve the state of education today?
Free laptop for every 11 year old as they arrive at secondary school. If we swapped this for the Children’s Trust Fund we would save millions and put EVERY child on a level playing field at secondary school. Oh yes, and get rid of Grammar Schools. Pay for education if you can afford it but please, please dont judge children at 11.
 
What has been the most important technological advance for schools?
Whiteboards have been useful but I think the use of the digital camera is the most important because its the most ubiquitous and has brought simple technology to classes across the UK. The visual element is critical and digital cameras alllow students to become artists, movie-makers and really helps their writing.
 
And what about the most pointless?
I am sceptical about VLEs. My son uses one to upload his homework and its the most unfriendly and out-dated system going. Where central government tries to manage an individual school’s software (through ‘approved’ suppliers) it goes against community, autonomy and pragmatism.
 
What would you do if you were education secretary for a day?
Give out a load of laptops.

…for the SATS boycott. I toyed with this for ages, because I’m not really keen on striking – isn’t striking something reserved for miners, and irrational Royal Mail staff?

But I think SATS are hugely damaging; they not only give an unfair few of a school, but they massively compromise the experience for my pupils, who become defined so early on, for something that seems to decide the rest of their education.

I feel like we have no other choice, which is sad, when it’s not a choice I ever wanted to make in the first place.

…just a little something I wanted to share with you all, courtesy of the ever hilarous News Biscuit.

The accompanying news story reads: “Yoda has overcome his demons and passed an exam in GCSE English. The pint-sized Jedi had long struggled to formulate sentences properly, meaning that he had failed the test aimed at 16 year olds no less than 728 times. Yoda received his GCSE result last week but wanted to keep the achievement quiet in order to avoid a fuss. ‘I just want to carry on like normal,” said Yoda today, “I really don’t want to draw any attention to this, I am like, ok, I’ve done this, I’ve passed, let’s move on. There are far more important things to be dealing with, such as the rebel alliance and that troublesome Darth Vader.’”

There’s nothing like the smell of bad taste humour on a Friday morning.

Genius.

I am really undecided about this.

I don’t think SATS are really benefitting my pupils anymore, and most of my colleagues are definitely only concerned about how they affect our league tables. Not our standards. All the work we do in school is to make sure the average of our SATS are good enough so we beat the rest of the schools in the area; not that each child is achieving what it should be.

To be honest, they don’t work for the schools, and I’m not sure they work for the pupils either.  But is there a better alternative?