Wednesday 29th July 2015

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 5:19 pm

Heard you the first time, rr2

I have no doubt the Corbyn camp will retaliate with poll "findings" of their own before the week is out, though I'm not sure the Kendallites will bother. For some reason

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 5:27 pm

What is it with these double postings? I only pressed submit once - honest.

However - I am now going to go and do my third sowing of leek seed. Yes - my third. Very poor germination rates so far this year. Sigh.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 5:31 pm

http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/20 ... emy-corbyn" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Why has Labour's "swing voter" endorsed Jeremy Corbyn
Jeremy Corbyn has picked up the endorsement of Unison, Labour's second-largest union and seen as the "swing vote" in the Labour party. What's going on?

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 5:37 pm

HindleA wrote:http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/20 ... emy-corbyn

Why has Labour's "swing voter" endorsed Jeremy Corbyn
Jeremy Corbyn has picked up the endorsement of Unison, Labour's second-largest union and seen as the "swing vote" in the Labour party. What's going on?

I've been ignoring the whole Labour party leadership thing.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 6:07 pm

HindleA wrote:http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/20 ... emy-corbyn

Why has Labour's "swing voter" endorsed Jeremy Corbyn
Jeremy Corbyn has picked up the endorsement of Unison, Labour's second-largest union and seen as the "swing vote" in the Labour party. What's going on?

Of the two more centrist trade unions, Community has backed Cooper while Usdaw, the shopworkers' union has opted for Andy Burnham.)

I used to be a shopworker and am thinking of opting for Burnham. Coincidence?

SpinningHugo · Post by **SpinningHugo** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 6:08 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Paul Waugh ‏@paulwaugh 18m18 minutes ago
The data arms race has started. @Andy4Leader camp soon to retaliate with data of their own showing AB 1st Corbyn 2nd Cooper 3rd, LK 4th
How much longer of this have we got?

Can't we have an compulsory 2 week break for all of them - please?

What Burnham has put out are canvasser returns, not a poll.

Not the same thing at all.

Corbyn now clear favourite on betfair.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 6:11 pm

Keir Hardie favourite to win leadership contest,the last I heard,just ahead of Denis Healey's eyebrows.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 6:14 pm

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... hare_btn_t" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Coercing people with addiction problems into employment won’t work
Threatening to cut the benefits of obese people or those with drug or alcohol problems unless they get treatment is probably illegal and impractical – and won’t save money

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 6:16 pm

citizenJA wrote:
HindleA wrote:http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/20 ... emy-corbyn

Why has Labour's "swing voter" endorsed Jeremy Corbyn
Jeremy Corbyn has picked up the endorsement of Unison, Labour's second-largest union and seen as the "swing vote" in the Labour party. What's going on?
I've been ignoring the whole Labour party leadership thing.

Probably best.

The media is way OTT in its coverage, imo. They should be reporting on what the government are doing predominantly, with only the odd article on Labour, as the former has an impact on people's lives in a way the latter has not. This obsession with the ins and outs of the opposition gives government an easy ride it doesn't deserve.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 6:24 pm

Kendall now 50-1.

http://www.oddschecker.com/politics/bri ... our-leader" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 6:59 pm

Willow904 wrote:
citizenJA wrote:
HindleA wrote:http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/20 ... emy-corbyn

Why has Labour's "swing voter" endorsed Jeremy Corbyn
Jeremy Corbyn has picked up the endorsement of Unison, Labour's second-largest union and seen as the "swing vote" in the Labour party. What's going on?
I've been ignoring the whole Labour party leadership thing.
Probably best.

The media is way OTT in its coverage, imo. They should be reporting on what the government are doing predominantly, with only the odd article on Labour, as the former has an impact on people's lives in a way the latter has not. This obsession with the ins and outs of the opposition gives government an easy ride it doesn't deserve.

Thank you, thank you.
Current government are a disaster.
I don't like being manipulated with manufactured media drama about Labour.

Post by **refitman** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 7:07 pm

ohsocynical wrote:So you lovely people. Had a letter telling Mr Ohso to go to outpatients on the 5th Aug rather than go in for another op. That worried us.
The next day we had a letter saying they'd pushed the outpatients appointment to Nov.
So Mr Ohso rang this morning and from what we can gather the sample they took for analysis was benign...So it looks like the all clear....

I'm making small pork pies to celebrate and as a reward for our young neighbour who bless her heart, has been brilliant...I was making them for the first time the other day and her eyes lit up when she saw them but they weren't exactly right, although Mr Ohso never argues about what I put in front of him. Today I'm correcting the things I did wrong and she'll get some for her tea.

I haven't had a reaction from the good news yet, but Mr Ohso is so thankful he's going to live to be Father Christmas again. He asked the hospital to do their best as the garden centre is already taking bookings from the disabled and deprived children groups who saw him last year. He had warned them that he might not be able to so they could look for a replacement.
He hated the thought of letting them down as he's the only Father Christmas that copes properly with those precious special children.

Great news Ohso. Really happy for both of you.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 7:12 pm

http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/news/3 ... r-up-grows" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

49 claimant deaths – evidence of DWP negligence cover-up grows

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 7:16 pm

HindleA wrote:Keir Hardie favourite to win leadership contest,the last I heard,just ahead of Denis Healey's eyebrows.

I'm voting for Dennis Healey's eyebrows...Formidable!

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 7:24 pm

HindleA wrote:http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/news/3 ... r-up-grows

49 claimant deaths – evidence of DWP negligence cover-up grows

They'll never find out the true figure- the DWP doesn't even try to know what happens to people when they go off the payroll.

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 7:28 pm

To yahyah -
I am voting for Corbyn because, if he wins, I think he is eminently capable of forming a principled opposition - I take the view that we need this now, as a matter of urgency. The candidates who have expressed the view that they won't serve under him are not only childish, they are hardly going to be in a position to talk about party unity. I think he can pull a reasonable team together, and his policies so far make sense to me.
I suspect that Burnham will win - but if all Corbyn achieves is a serious conversation within the party on what Labour is for in this modern world, and why the time has come to really engage with voters and find out what they want, that's long overdue. One thing I heard quite a bit on the doorstep was that people weren't quite sure what Labour at Westminster were about - they "get" Carwyn, but they didn't "get" Ed.
I think Ed would have gently brought Labour towards the left; he managed to keep the party more united than it had been for a long time (a miracle in itself) but he was undone by a combination of appallingly biased press and a largely inaccurate portrayal of his policies, plus a very nasty fear-based campaign from the right.
What I'd like to see is Corbyn having that conversation and being willing (and I think he is) to work with other parties to stop the Tories. If not, then I hope Burnham is the one who wins, because at least he's open to that conversation while the others just aren't.
The reason that article made me so cross is because the blame for what that final paragraph describes is not happening in some permanent Tory future, it has been happening for 5 long years and is set to get a lot worse over the next 5 - if Labour is only electable when what we get is more of the same with a bit of lip service, then what's the point?
I am hoping the Tories will implode at some point, or people will come to their senses and realise what is being done to them - but until then, we need a strong opposition and if that means Corbyn and an alliance with the SNP or whoever so be it.
If he wins, and is regarded as unelectable for the GE, it won't matter. He has said he will hold annual leadership elections. Job jobbed - and ample time for Jarvis or Starmer or some other new talent to step in.

For HindleA - It would indeed be illegal to force any person to undergo medical treatment without consent.
There are two reasons why it will happen anyway.
The whole point about imposing conditions with sanctions on people who claim any benefits is to stop them claiming those benefits. As we know, IDS can (and does) impose any conditions he likes. If the recommendations are that people claiming benefits should engage with DWP-ordered treatment, IDS can make that a condition of claiming. That's what the Claimant Commitments are for, and that's why they have been brought in for JSA and ESA WRAG claimants long before Universal Credit is near nationwide roll-out.
The sham psychometric testing, the pilot schemes for mentally ill claimants - both without any reference to the claimants' clinicians, are now being rolled out all over the place, with IAPT services in jobcentres delivered by outsourced companies. They, of course, also deliver the "therapy" they recommend because the NHS cannot possibly do it or it already would be.
People with unhealthy substance (and I include food) habits need careful handling and intelligent care. If they happen to be out of work or too sick to work, even if those habits are the reason for those things, their interests are best served by care from their own doctors.
But that's not what that moron Carol Black will say - she will, in her usual fashion, tell Cameron that what's needed is lots more treatment for drug/alcohol-dependent people and those with eating disorders or whatever.
This will be very handy for her, what with her links to the sector and all. Then claimants can be given the option of treatment or sanction.
It is no co-incidence that apart from a nod to the Department of Health, most of the people Black is asking to join her deliberations come from the Home Office and the criminal justice system. That's where the cash for treatment often comes from. Kerching!

Tonibel · Post by **Tonibel** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 7:45 pm

Willow904 wrote:
HindleA wrote:http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/20 ... emy-corbyn

Why has Labour's "swing voter" endorsed Jeremy Corbyn
Jeremy Corbyn has picked up the endorsement of Unison, Labour's second-largest union and seen as the "swing vote" in the Labour party. What's going on?

Of the two more centrist trade unions, Community has backed Cooper while Usdaw, the shopworkers' union has opted for Andy Burnham.)
I used to be a shopworker and am thinking of opting for Burnham. Coincidence?

Interesting! I'm a retired Unison member and I'd decided quite a while ago to go for JC and AE. Glad they've just endorsed my decision.

Post by **refitman** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 7:59 pm

Adam Hills on Michael Gove and Jeremy *unt:
[youtube]C-O4_E3SKsc[/youtube]
" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 8:13 pm

Corbyn's peaked too early in my view. The EU climbdown is going to be the first of many, I think.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 8:14 pm

On the plus side, I'm delighted to see nobody cared about John Mann's bollocks.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 8:42 pm

http://markets.ft.com/Research/Markets/ ... nd-Spreads" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Osborne doesn't mention these any more, does he?

UK gilt rates higher than Spain and Italy.

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 9:11 pm

ohsocynical wrote:So you lovely people. Had a letter telling Mr Ohso to go to outpatients on the 5th Aug rather than go in for another op. That worried us.
The next day we had a letter saying they'd pushed the outpatients appointment to Nov.
So Mr Ohso rang this morning and from what we can gather the sample they took for analysis was benign...So it looks like the all clear....

I'm making small pork pies to celebrate and as a reward for our young neighbour who bless her heart, has been brilliant...I was making them for the first time the other day and her eyes lit up when she saw them but they weren't exactly right, although Mr Ohso never argues about what I put in front of him. Today I'm correcting the things I did wrong and she'll get some for her tea.

I haven't had a reaction from the good news yet, but Mr Ohso is so thankful he's going to live to be Father Christmas again. He asked the hospital to do their best as the garden centre is already taking bookings from the disabled and deprived children groups who saw him last year. He had warned them that he might not be able to so they could look for a replacement.
He hated the thought of letting them down as he's the only Father Christmas that copes properly with those precious special children.

Just popped back to say what wonderful news Ohso! Very very happy for you both

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 9:28 pm

Someone picked up on something in Nicky Morgan's "You're all doing very well!" speech to Teach First...

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/ ... each-first" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There are schools all over the country that are already taking action that we know has strong evidence behind it - such as sustained collaboration between teachers and a focus on professional development, not just for a day or week, but over time, as seen at Highbury Grove School in London and Huntington School in York.

And there are other ambitious approaches, for example, linking professional development to pupil outcomes, that are being developed by schools like Cramlington Learning Village in Northumberland and Sidney Stringer Academy in Coventry.

Ah, that's the same Cramlington Learning Village that got an Inadequate rating from Ofsted and placed in special measures last week?

Yes, that one...oops. Someone's going to get a bollocking for that I would imagine...

Tizme1 · Post by **Tizme1** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 9:28 pm

@yahyah,

I stopped by to see if anyone here had posted information or links on a totally different subject and saw your posts. My initial reaction was that I'm the last person you'd want putting their twopennerth in but then I sat here thinking and thinking about it. I have no intention of trying to suggest what you should or shouldn't do but I thought if I told you what I'm finding in the Green Party locally, it may [or may not] help in your deliberations.

On a personal level, I know and am friendly with many local Labour members and Councillors so there is probably no way I could get away with paying £3 to affiliate and vote in the Labour leadership election. But even if that wasn't the case, I wouldn't do it because as a Green Party member, I don't think I should interfere in another party's democratic process. Of course we have Green party members who don't have official 'roles' within the local party and who haven't stood for election, and therefore the local Labour party wouldn't know they were Green party members. They possibly could do it. The subject of the Labour leadership election has come up on occasion with some of them and none of them have shown or expressed any inclination/intention to do that. As I've said before, there are idiots and manipulative people in every party - including the Greens, so it's possible some could do that but, I've not got that vibe from local members. And indeed, who would they vote for and with what aim? There is absolutely not any 'official' Green party guidance to do any such thing.

The one exception [sort of] locally, is a member who emailed me shortly after Ed resigned. He explained that he is a Union member and is entitled to vote in the Labour leadership election. He wanted to know if a] there was anything in the Green party rules saying he couldn't, and b] if not, was there any official Green party guidance. I checked that my understanding of the answers was correct and then told him - a] No, because we don't feel we can take away his democratic right as a union member and b] no because we don't feel we should express an opinion in what is a Labour party matter.

With regards your neighbour, I think the one question I'd be asking is, is she a Green party member, or just someone who has voted Green sometimes? For me there is a difference - I have voted Labour in the past, and I can imagine circumstances where I'd so so again - I don't feel that should exclude me from Green Party membership [or in your neighbours case, Labour party affiliation]. But you may not agree that its relevant.

@ohso - I'm pleased you've received some good news.

Oh and evening all.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 9:38 pm

What does linking professional development to student outcomes actually mean?

Isn't development usually linked with outcomes?

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 9:51 pm

I see Morgan had some responsibility for in-house counselling as a lawyer, which probably involved a bit of professional development. So she understands about it, and tried to make a sensible speech, which would have been beyond Gove.

But the structure is such a mess, the Education Secretary is reduced to plucking out things they like the look of across the system (providing they're academies, of course). If you do, that you're going to slip up and find what looked like flavour of the month has gone bad. But usually your Spads will have told you before you mention it again in a speech.

The DfE have no idea what makes a good school at all.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 9:52 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:What does linking professional development to student outcomes actually mean?

Isn't development usually linked with outcomes?

Yes because otherwise what's the point?

The question that our HT asks and encourages us governors to ask of every single decision made is "What's the impact on pupil learning?" - and that goes for professional development as well.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 9:53 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:I see Morgan had some responsibility for in-house counselling as a lawyer, which probably involved a bit of professional development. So she understands about it, and tried to make a sensible speech, which would have been beyond Gove.

But the structure is such a mess, the Education Secretary is reduced to plucking out things they like the look of across the system (providing they're academies, of course). If you do, that you're going to slip up and find what looked like flavour of the month has gone bad. But usually your Spads will have told you before you mention it again in a speech.

The DfE have no idea what makes a good school at all.

Actually, I've just noticed that one school that she gave a shout out to - Highbury Grove in Islington - isn't an academy...that must be a first.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 9:58 pm

Crikey, this woman has a heck of a job.

https://www.gov.uk/government/people/janet-renou" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Regional Schools Commissioner for the North of England is responsible for making decisions about the academies and free schools in the following local authorities:

Cumbria
Darlington
Durham
Gateshead
Hartlepool
Middlesbrough
Newcastle upon Tyne
North Tyneside
North Yorkshire
Northumberland
Redcar and Cleveland
South Tyneside
Stockton-on-Tees
Sunderland

Lots of struggling schools up there, and can't see the "blue chip" academy chains being all that interested.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 9:59 pm

RogerOThornhill wrote:
Tubby Isaacs wrote:I see Morgan had some responsibility for in-house counselling as a lawyer, which probably involved a bit of professional development. So she understands about it, and tried to make a sensible speech, which would have been beyond Gove.

But the structure is such a mess, the Education Secretary is reduced to plucking out things they like the look of across the system (providing they're academies, of course). If you do, that you're going to slip up and find what looked like flavour of the month has gone bad. But usually your Spads will have told you before you mention it again in a speech.

The DfE have no idea what makes a good school at all.
Actually, I've just noticed that one school that she gave a shout out to - Highbury Grove in Islington - isn't an academy...that must be a first.

Crikey!

And with its interesting history of Ofsted stitch ups. Wonder if she knew about that.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 10:17 pm

I see Rachel de Souza piped up in defence of the Education Funding Agency the other day.

http://schoolsweek.co.uk/academies-have ... ust-chief/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

“I have always found the EFA extremely responsive and helpful and to have a very good grasp of our schools’ requirements – but to be challenging about the use of public money.”

She's basically the teacher's pet, isn't she?

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 10:34 pm

http://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/ ... -1-3843943" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Controversy over the SNP wanting to take over the Scottish part of the British Transport Police.

Amusing comments BTL

Why stop at the BTP?
There's the MoD police and the Civil Nuclear Constabulary for SNP to mess with. Of course both of those forces are armed as a matter of routine...

British Home Stores better watch out!

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 10:34 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:I see Rachel de Souza piped up in defence of the Education Funding Agency the other day.

http://schoolsweek.co.uk/academies-have ... ust-chief/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

“I have always found the EFA extremely responsive and helpful and to have a very good grasp of our schools’ requirements – but to be challenging about the use of public money.”
She's basically the teacher's pet, isn't she?

"Oh by the way did you know that our sponsor and therefore my boss is on the DfE Board? Right, so you'll do that today? Excellent..."

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 10:38 pm

Ha, ha, yes.

Interesting to see how she defends them. "Oh, they actually ask tough questions about funding".

Like she knows they don't really.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 10:42 pm

Noticed more old De Souza. Guess what? She says exactly the same as Gove about the old curriculum and the new one!

Rachel de Souza, executive principal of Ormiston Victory Academy in Norwich, where teachers have been helping draft parts of the document, said her school was ready to embrace the new curriculum.

"I think some of the educational concepts were outmoded in the old one," she said.

"One of the real strengths of this new curriculum is its strong focus on knowledge and on what students need to know to give them a real foundation for their future.

"We are doing children a disservice if we don't teach them the fundamental things about our culture, mathematics and science. With that knowledge they can then go on to 'think'."

What exactly is the difference between the two?

(Nice that she can opt-out of both too).

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 10:44 pm

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... are_btn_tw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A rape test for welfare is a chilling way to save money
Keir Starmer

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 10:49 pm

Teacher shortages: act now before a 'full-blown crisis' emerges, unions warn

https://www.tes.co.uk/news/school-news/ ... nions-warn" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sort it out, Morgan! Oh hang on... it's talking about Scotland, which is so much more forward thinking than UKIPpy England.

Whose fault is it then?

A Scottish government spokesman said: “The recruitment and employment of teachers is a matter for individual local authorities, with all 32 committing to maintaining their teacher numbers and pupil teacher ratio at 2014 levels for 2015-16.” He added that, over the past four years, the government had increased intake targets for teaching students to ensure that schools had the right number of teachers with the right skills.

Local authorities, who you've forced an 8 year council tax freeze on.

Missed a trick by not blaming Westminster or Trident, mind.

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 10:55 pm

ohsocynical wrote:
HindleA wrote:Keir Hardie favourite to win leadership contest,the last I heard,just ahead of Denis Healey's eyebrows.
I'm voting for Dennis Healey's eyebrows...Formidable!

Formidable? Bollocks they couldn't even beat Michael Foot's glasses.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 10:57 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:Noticed more old De Souza. Guess what? She says exactly the same as Gove about the old curriculum and the new one!

Rachel de Souza, executive principal of Ormiston Victory Academy in Norwich, where teachers have been helping draft parts of the document, said her school was ready to embrace the new curriculum.

"I think some of the educational concepts were outmoded in the old one," she said.

"One of the real strengths of this new curriculum is its strong focus on knowledge and on what students need to know to give them a real foundation for their future.

"We are doing children a disservice if we don't teach them the fundamental things about our culture, mathematics and science. With that knowledge they can then go on to 'think'."
What exactly is the difference between the two?

(Nice that she can opt-out of both too).

Yes, the old "knowledge-rich curriculum" bollocks that seems to be the in phrase right now. The history chap who now works at the West London Free School took apart that argument re the old history curriculum very well. Wonder if he and Toby Young every discuss it?

http://clioetcetera.com/2013/07/13/in-d ... urriculum/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

David Cannadine said that there was nothing wrong with that curriculum but just needed more time to teach it. I've read people saying that GCSE is now in some cases a three-year course thus squeezing the national curriculum into even less time. Madness.

Eric_WLothian · Post by **Eric_WLothian** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 11:01 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:
Teacher shortages: act now before a 'full-blown crisis' emerges, unions warn
https://www.tes.co.uk/news/school-news/ ... nions-warn" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sort it out, Morgan! Oh hang on... it's talking about Scotland, which is so much more forward thinking than UKIPpy England.

Whose fault is it then?

A Scottish government spokesman said: “The recruitment and employment of teachers is a matter for individual local authorities, with all 32 committing to maintaining their teacher numbers and pupil teacher ratio at 2014 levels for 2015-16.” He added that, over the past four years, the government had increased intake targets for teaching students to ensure that schools had the right number of teachers with the right skills.
Local authorities, who you've forced an 8 year council tax freeze on.

Missed a trick by not blaming Westminster or Trident, mind.

Here's an SNP progressive education policy:

Teach First, a charity which sends top graduates to teach in schools in poor areas, has been rebuffed by the government in its efforts to set up in Scotland. The SNP says it is because Scotland does not face a problem of trying to attract graduates from the best universities into teaching...
...However, the main proposal being considered as part of the draft education bill currently going through Holyrood is for a legal duty on local authorities to reduce inequality. “The wording is such that the aim could be met by reducing the success of those at the top,” worried Alison Payne, research director at Reform Scotland, a think tank. Lindsay Paterson, a professor of education at the University of Edinburgh, added: “You can no more outlaw inequality as ban bad weather.”

The whole article is quite enlightening.
http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/featu ... d-scotland

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 11:06 pm

I saw that- I was put off a bit by his praise of Gove, but he makes some good points. Funny because he's not taken in by the claims made for academies and free schools in other articles he's written.

That SNP inequality law is (to use the phrase that offended the other night) gesture politics.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 11:10 pm

RogerOThornhill wrote:
Yes, the old "knowledge-rich curriculum" bollocks that seems to be the in phrase right now. The history chap who now works at the West London Free School took apart that argument re the old history curriculum very well. Wonder if he and Toby Young every discuss it?

http://clioetcetera.com/2013/07/13/in-d ... urriculum/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

David Cannadine said that there was nothing wrong with that curriculum but just needed more time to teach it. I've read people saying that GCSE is now in some cases a three-year course thus squeezing the national curriculum into even less time. Madness.

Marklu pointed that WLFS guy out to me the other day, he sounds a very sensible bloke. God knows what he makes of Robert Peal in his department.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 11:21 pm

This is interesting.

http://www.nfer.ac.uk/pisa/pisa-in-scotland.cfm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The SNP had PISA in last year to do a "field trial" for PISA proper. They pulled out of other measures.

Trying to game one system?

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 11:29 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:
RogerOThornhill wrote:
Yes, the old "knowledge-rich curriculum" bollocks that seems to be the in phrase right now. The history chap who now works at the West London Free School took apart that argument re the old history curriculum very well. Wonder if he and Toby Young every discuss it?

http://clioetcetera.com/2013/07/13/in-d ... urriculum/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

David Cannadine said that there was nothing wrong with that curriculum but just needed more time to teach it. I've read people saying that GCSE is now in some cases a three-year course thus squeezing the national curriculum into even less time. Madness.
Marklu pointed that WLFS guy out to me the other day, he sounds a very sensible bloke. God knows what he makes of Robert Peal in his department.

Particularly as Peal was part of a panel at the Battle of Ideas (organised by the old LM crowd) and rubbished the old history curriculum - he clearly didn't understand it. Neither did Frank Furedi but that's not saying much as he's an old fraud.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 11:40 pm

Heh.

There's a quite wonderful bracketed explanation of what a peer means in the DT...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... ly-2m.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Lord Crathorne, the former Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire who represented the Queen, has claimed £117,900 in allowances over the past five years and nearly £30,000 in travel costs.

He said he runs the all party arts and heritage group and regularly votes, but admits that his work has been "more behind the scenes" and that he would like to participate in more debates.

When he is in London he stays at the Garrick private member's club, the Sloane Square hotel and elsewhere. "I sleep around [in different hotels] and that eats into the allowance quite dramatically," he said.

Just in case we got the wrong idea...

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 11:45 pm

Looked up some reviews of Peal the other day.

http://www.imaginative-inquiry.co.uk/20 ... ely-worse/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"Permissive discipline", on which Peal goes to town as some defining expression of the Plowden Report., was used once, in Volume 2.

LadyCentauria · Post by **LadyCentauria** » Wed 29 Jul, 2015 11:56 pm

ohsocynical wrote:So you lovely people. Had a letter telling Mr Ohso to go to outpatients on the 5th Aug rather than go in for another op. That worried us.
The next day we had a letter saying they'd pushed the outpatients appointment to Nov.
So Mr Ohso rang this morning and from what we can gather the sample they took for analysis was benign...So it looks like the all clear....

I'm making small pork pies to celebrate and as a reward for our young neighbour who bless her heart, has been brilliant...I was making them for the first time the other day and her eyes lit up when she saw them but they weren't exactly right, although Mr Ohso never argues about what I put in front of him. Today I'm correcting the things I did wrong and she'll get some for her tea.

I haven't had a reaction from the good news yet, but Mr Ohso is so thankful he's going to live to be Father Christmas again. He asked the hospital to do their best as the garden centre is already taking bookings from the disabled and deprived children groups who saw him last year. He had warned them that he might not be able to so they could look for a replacement.
He hated the thought of letting them down as he's the only Father Christmas that copes properly with those precious special children.

What a relief for you both! I'm so pleased that Father Ohso-Christmas will ride again – and hope that all the other things that were being investigated will be no more than niggles, and preferably not even that.

all round

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Thu 30 Jul, 2015 12:00 am

Tubby Isaacs wrote:Looked up some reviews of Peal the other day.

http://www.imaginative-inquiry.co.uk/20 ... ely-worse/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"Permissive discipline", on which Peal goes to town as some defining expression of the Plowden Report., was used once, in Volume 2.

Education right now is a very cliquey place - all of the loudest voices know each other (which is amazing considering the number of teachers there are) and are very self-congratulatory but occasionally you get voices off like that Tim Taylor piece.

LadyCentauria · Post by **LadyCentauria** » Thu 30 Jul, 2015 1:33 am

HindleA wrote:http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/news/3 ... r-up-grows

49 claimant deaths – evidence of DWP negligence cover-up grows

Does anyone know whether or not the DWP Select Committee (or another Committee) would be able to compel the DWP to release those numbers? Or whether there is another way to get those numbers released in the Commons or Lords?

LadyCentauria · Post by **LadyCentauria** » Thu 30 Jul, 2015 1:42 am

Tubby Isaacs wrote:
HindleA wrote:http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/news/3 ... r-up-grows

49 claimant deaths – evidence of DWP negligence cover-up grows
They'll never find out the true figure- the DWP doesn't even try to know what happens to people when they go off the payroll.

They don't, and it will be difficult to confirm how many have died in total. But the questions asked were regarding the number who were on a Work Programme and the number who were identified as 'vulnerable' during the time they were on the payroll, within a group of 49 who died and whose cases were reviewed following their deaths.