Thursday 5th November 2015

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 05 Nov, 2015 8:11 pm

Hang on, when was it up to Nick Gibb to evaluate syllabuses?

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Thu 05 Nov, 2015 8:15 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:More on those "Conservative Teachers".

https://www.linkedin.com/pub/kyle-stealey/33/167/ab2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This bloke isn't even a teacher. "Examinations Officer" at Harris.

Better off than being a teacher there.

Interesting to see the number that aren't actually state school teachers...and "Joe Baron" has already had one rant. As I said, getting short of people to call on...

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Thu 05 Nov, 2015 8:27 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:Hang on, when was it up to Nick Gibb to evaluate syllabuses?

It's that "school-led system" again, leaving teachers and HTs in the position of making decision about what's best for their pupils...oh...

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 05 Nov, 2015 8:34 pm

I see they're OK with Computer Science, but not IT.

Wasn't Gibb happy with putting IT outside the Ebacc? That's a pretty major disincentive to study it. Why scrap it altogether?

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Thu 05 Nov, 2015 8:35 pm

Forgot to post this up here from the outgoing director of the Institute of Education.

Subject to change: here we go EBacc again

https://ioelondonblog.wordpress.com/201 ... acc-again/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The problem is that government is in something of a policy mess. Not for the first time, different policy initiatives are interacting. It cannot do the obvious thing which is to reassert the 1988 requirement because it has allowed academies – now half of all secondary schools — the freedom to opt out of the national curriculum. That means it is required to use the assessment system (GCSEs) and the accountability system (OFSTED inspection) to achieve a curriculum goal.

Absolutely spot on.

As I said on AS, the people who are most in favour of the ED Hirsch and his 'core curriculum; are also in favour of academies...and their ability to ignore the national curriculum.

IIRC Laura McInerney mentioned this to Daisy Christodolou...but I didn't see an answer. Probably an uncomfortable silence...

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 05 Nov, 2015 8:36 pm

Earlier on Wednesday, National Grid issued an urgent request for energy companies to make more power available after multiple breakdowns at UK power stations. Power firms were asked to supply an extra 500 megawatts (MW) between 4.30pm and 6pm, a period when power demand surges, with some people still at work and others arriving home and turning the lights on.

National Grid issued the original request by sending a “notification of inadequate system margin” (NISM), a warning that there was not enough power in reserve to keep the lights on in the event of an unforeseen emergency.

Shortly before 6pm, National Grid issued a further statement saying suppliers had responded to its urgent request and 40MW of extra power had been ordered, so the NISM had been withdrawn.

(my emphasis)

Severn Power sold electricity to the National Grid at £2,500 per megawatt hour during the afternoon, industry sources confirmed, compared with the typical price at that time of about £60.

How nice for Severn Power.

“This is one of the routine tools that we use to indicate to the market that we would like more generation to come forward for the evening peak demand period,” the company said. The issuing of a NISM does not mean we were at risk of blackouts. It means that we needed the safety cushion of power in reserve to be higher.”

http://www.theguardian.com/business/201 ... xtra-power

Is that rule still necessary? Perhaps it is, I can understand the reasoning for it, absolutely. However, I'm not going to accept without question a necessity for issuing a scary acronym-ed 'event' in order to fulfil a crap target that may or may be important but wasn't or isn't fit for purpose. Providing private energy companies incentives for the receipt of magnificent boons is scarier than hell - energy companies already fail to invest in integrated infrastructure good for the nation - and perhaps I can't blame them for not doing so. It's too great a risk, perhaps, for a private outfit to commit themselves to such an endeavour. And that's why essential services don't belong in the market place.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 05 Nov, 2015 8:43 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:I see they're OK with Computer Science, but not IT.

Wasn't Gibb happy with putting IT outside the Ebacc? That's a pretty major disincentive to study it. Why scrap it altogether?

Computer makers are fine, very clever, theory and product are fabulous but we can't encourage people to study the use of technology and talking with others about how to solve problems using technology.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 05 Nov, 2015 8:51 pm

This is extremely sad.

http://www.bloggerheads.com/archives/20 ... oriswatch/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Tom Barry, better known as BorisWatch has died suddenly at age 41.

As Tim Ireland says here

Tom not only sought to stem the tide of bile and bullshit with incredible tenacity, but he did so in a way that gave strength and comfort to people who might otherwise let it wash over them.

RIP

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 05 Nov, 2015 8:53 pm

RogerOThornhill wrote:Forgot to post this up here from the outgoing director of the Institute of Education.

Subject to change: here we go EBacc again

https://ioelondonblog.wordpress.com/201 ... acc-again/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The problem is that government is in something of a policy mess. Not for the first time, different policy initiatives are interacting. It cannot do the obvious thing which is to reassert the 1988 requirement because it has allowed academies – now half of all secondary schools — the freedom to opt out of the national curriculum. That means it is required to use the assessment system (GCSEs) and the accountability system (OFSTED inspection) to achieve a curriculum goal.
Absolutely spot on.

As I said on AS, the people who are most in favour of the ED Hirsch and his 'core curriculum; are also in favour of academies...and their ability to ignore the national curriculum.

IIRC Laura McInerney mentioned this to Daisy Christodolou...but I didn't see an answer. Probably an uncomfortable silence...

Christodolou hasn't been on Twitter today at all, maybe she'll answer it. Probably by waffling on about ARK.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Thu 05 Nov, 2015 9:00 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:
Christodolou hasn't been on Twitter today at all, maybe she'll answer it. Probably by waffling on about ARK.

I've seen some posts about tests being better than teacher assessments at KS1 because of inbuilt teacher bias and that it's the judgment of only one person.

The problem with that is that whoever is marking test scripts for reading and writing is only a single person too...with their on inbuilt bias.

Not sure I see the difference - and in fact teacher assessment will be based on a body of work and not just a single test on a single day. And, if schools are like ours, teacher assessment will be moderated across the year group to ensure consistency.

Our HT said to me when I emailed him Morgan's speech, that he was resigned to KS1 national tests coming back a long while ago...

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 05 Nov, 2015 9:01 pm

Good post, as ever, from Tim Fenton on Transport and the godawful Andrew Gilligan.

http://zelo-street.blogspot.co.uk/2015/ ... usted.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Several times, Gilligan has popped up to make out that his pal Boris is delivering "driverless" tube trains which will make strikes impossible/ineffective. Christian Wolmar, among others, told Gilligan he was talking rubbish, to which Gilligan replied:

For Christian Wolmar’s future reference there are, in fact, 32 cities with driverless trains in daily passenger service - not even in the near future, but right now [including] London (ours is called the DLR, Christian – it's been around since 1987, you must have heard of it.)

So what's just happened?

Er.... a strike on the DLR. Which was so effective it shut the DLR down, and some of the diversionary routes too when they became overcrowded.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 05 Nov, 2015 9:19 pm

Talking of Johnson, his "Night Tube" is already a month late. Parties due at ACAS next week.

Put that man in the Cabinet!

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 05 Nov, 2015 9:26 pm

Wow.

Mr Conservative Teacher I flagged up there has never taught!

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Thu 05 Nov, 2015 9:32 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:Wow.

Mr Conservative Teacher I flagged up there has never taught!

Yes, I noticed that...see what I mean about them getting short of contributors?

I notice they gave Toby Young and John Bald a slot a couple months back. And a private tutor.

LadyCentauria · Post by **LadyCentauria** » Thu 05 Nov, 2015 10:04 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:Hang on, when was it up to Nick Gibb to evaluate syllabuses?

And where are the extra CompSci teachers to come from, if they're going to try to increase the numbers of pupils taking it (currently 35,000) to make up for the ones no longer doing ICT (115,000)? Or do they expect the ICT teachers to retrain?

Late Edit to put the missing 'p' into CompSci...

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 05 Nov, 2015 10:23 pm

The favourite gets it.

Patrick Wintour ‏@patrickwintour 5m5 minutes ago
Patrick Wintour Retweeted Wes Streeting MP
Oldham Labour has selected a serious local leader Jim McMahon to succeed Michael Meacher in by election.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Thu 05 Nov, 2015 10:26 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:The favourite gets it.

Patrick Wintour ‏@patrickwintour 5m5 minutes ago
Patrick Wintour Retweeted Wes Streeting MP
Oldham Labour has selected a serious local leader Jim McMahon to succeed Michael Meacher in by election.

Wow, so Corbyn has managed to get his own ultra-left candidate adopted....hardly surprising, loony left again...wait...what did you say?

I assume that the usual suspects will manage to spin this against Corbyn somehow.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 05 Nov, 2015 10:26 pm

James Lyons Retweeted
Natalie Rowe ‏@RealNatalieRowe 38m38 minutes ago
@jeremycorbyn got a bit of inside info for you! Just thought I'd let you know... ( I have my people ) it's re @David_Cameron next trick !

Ha, what's she up to now? Was surprised by who is retweeting this - deputy political editor of Sunday Times no less.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 05 Nov, 2015 10:30 pm

I just heard a loud 'for fucks sake' coming from Mr Riots in the next room. I went to investigate. He's just heard that we need to raise £100,000 to save Margaret Thatcher's clothes for the nation. He says they can have some of his old pants for free. Great minds think alike HindleA, eh.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 05 Nov, 2015 10:34 pm

RogerOThornhill wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:The favourite gets it.

Patrick Wintour ‏@patrickwintour 5m5 minutes ago
Patrick Wintour Retweeted Wes Streeting MP
Oldham Labour has selected a serious local leader Jim McMahon to succeed Michael Meacher in by election.
Wow, so Corbyn has managed to get his own ultra-left candidate adopted....hardly surprising, loony left again...wait...what did you say?

I assume that the usual suspects will manage to spin this against Corbyn somehow.

It will be something along the lines of this showing how weak and powerless and out in the cold in the PLP and out of touch with the north he is .... whereas if a more left wing candidate had been selected it would have been all part of his terrible extremist plan, surrounding himself with a sect and imposing his Stalinist views yada yada.

Anyway - ridiculous if they do criticise Corbyn - McMahon sounded like he had it in the bag from the start, as though it was a role made for him to step into. Hope Michael Meacher's memory is honoured and the contest is respectful and worthy of him.

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Thu 05 Nov, 2015 10:34 pm

Stranded tourists in Sharm el Sheikh will be delighted to know they're going to be rescued by EasyJet

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 05 Nov, 2015 10:35 pm

Alex Carey
‏@AlexCareyOC
Jim McMahon picked up 232 votes against Mohammed Azam's 141

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 05 Nov, 2015 10:37 pm

Where have you been PfY? Been missing your posts of late.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 05 Nov, 2015 10:42 pm

Jeremy Corbyn MP ‏@jeremycorbyn 5m5 minutes ago
Congratulations @CllrJimMcMahon. The @UKLabour parliamentary candidate for Oldham West & Royton. I look forward to campaigning with him.

LadyCentauria · Post by **LadyCentauria** » Thu 05 Nov, 2015 10:43 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:This is extremely sad.

http://www.bloggerheads.com/archives/20 ... oriswatch/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Tom Barry, better known as BorisWatch has died suddenly at age 41.

As Tim Ireland says here

Tom not only sought to stem the tide of bile and bullshit with incredible tenacity, but he did so in a way that gave strength and comfort to people who might otherwise let it wash over them.
RIP

Very sad news. All honour to his memory.

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Thu 05 Nov, 2015 10:43 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:Where have you been PfY? Been missing your posts of late.

I'm still here Rebecca - very busy at work but all fine thanks.

If I get a mo tomorrow I may bob by to welcome (or probably not!) the new higher education green paper

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 05 Nov, 2015 10:46 pm

Cuts to business rates on the cards to help the steel industry in Wales
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/business/b ... p-10394252" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

... Cuts to business rates for steel firms are being considered as part of action to help the industry in Wales.

Economy Minister Edwina Hart said the Welsh Government was taking action as she didn’t want to see the steel industry in Wales go the same way as coal.

She held an urgent summit of industry representatives , unions and Welsh Government officials in Cardiff on Thursday on how to tackle the challenge facing the Welsh steel industry.

A joint working group to form an united front to lobby the UK Government will now be set up with Ms Hart saying Westminster’s action was “too little too late”.

The minister said the representatives discussed whether Cardiff could offer business rate reductions adding that there was a “pot of money” but it would have to be divided up...

Labour being all anti business again ...

Eric_WLothian · Post by **Eric_WLothian** » Thu 05 Nov, 2015 10:54 pm

PaulfromYorkshire wrote:Stranded tourists in Sharm el Sheikh will be delighted to know they're going to be rescued by EasyJet

Could be worse, could be Ryanair (please make your own way to Cairo, which is near enough for us to call it Sharm el Sheikh)

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 05 Nov, 2015 10:55 pm

Kevin Maguire ‏@Kevin_Maguire 11m11 minutes ago
Innovative, young, local & now Labour's Oldham byelection hope. Wrote this on Jim McMahon 3 years ago http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/ol ... pe-1508247" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Thu 05 Nov, 2015 10:55 pm

PaulfromYorkshire wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:Where have you been PfY? Been missing your posts of late.
I'm still here Rebecca - very busy at work but all fine thanks.

If I get a mo tomorrow I may bob by to welcome (or probably not!) the new higher education green paper

There's been a lot of twitter talk that FE will get a right kicking in the Spending Review.

LadyCentauria · Post by **LadyCentauria** » Thu 05 Nov, 2015 11:05 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:I just heard a loud 'for fucks sake' coming from Mr Riots in the next room. I went to investigate. He's just heard that we need to raise £100,000 to save Margaret Thatcher's clothes for the nation. He says they can have some of his old pants for free. Great minds think alike HindleA, eh.

I'd like to offer some holed tights - woolly ones - to the cause. The FTN cause not the fucking Thatcher one.

Hold on a mo! Are you telling me that whoever it was who offered £100,000 for that bloody woman's awful clothes hasn't actually got the money to buy them!?

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 05 Nov, 2015 11:06 pm

Tax Credits: Tory Commentator Says George Osborne Could Lose His Job Over Welfare U-turn
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/11 ... _hp_ref=uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

... George Osborne could be forced to resign if he tries to "get away" with only a partial U-turn on tax credits as he faces a "massive rebellion" from his own party, a Conservative commentator has warned.

Tim Montgomerie, a columnist for The Times and founder of the Conservative Home website, said he believed the cuts to the benefit for working families were "dead" in their present guise, and called the policy "terrible politics".

He was speaking at a Resolution Foundation think-tank event on how the Chancellor can get himself out of a hole after the humiliation of the House of Lords torpedoing his welfare crackdown...

Mr Montgomerie said Mr Osborne "re-setting the rules of the game" by improving pay and ending the state welfare prop was an "admiral project".

"You cannot fight an election saying you are standing up for hard-working families then you cut benefits for hard-working families," he said.

He went on that since the The Sun, Boris Johnson and a series of right-wing backbenchers had aired their disquiet at the cuts he had a "massive rebellion on your hands".

"I don't think George Osborne will tweak," he said. "If he does just try to get away with this, he will not just be defeated in the Lords, he will be defeated in the Commons.

"That's not just the end of his leadership ambitions, it's the end of his Chancellorship and he would have to resign."...

We can always dream I suppose.

The sounds that have been emanating from no 11 and sources though have mostly been of the tweaking variety - phasing in over longer, only applying it to new claimants etc. I'd like to think Montgomerie is right when he says the HoC won't support such slight mitigations - even if the idea of Osborne resigning is way out there.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 05 Nov, 2015 11:09 pm

LadyCentauria wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:I just heard a loud 'for fucks sake' coming from Mr Riots in the next room. I went to investigate. He's just heard that we need to raise £100,000 to save Margaret Thatcher's clothes for the nation. He says they can have some of his old pants for free. Great minds think alike HindleA, eh.
I'd like to offer some holed tights - woolly ones - to the cause. The FTN cause not the fucking Thatcher one.

Hold on a mo! Are you telling me that whoever it was who offered £100,000 for that bloody woman's awful clothes hasn't actually got the money to buy them!?

I don't understand why the Thatcher family aren't donating them for free? Surely most of them were paid for out of taxpayers money?

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Thu 05 Nov, 2015 11:12 pm

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... s-staffing" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Two deaths possibly linked to 'Hunt effect', study suggests
Research suggests some patients may be avoiding going to hospital at the weekend because of health secretary’s statements about inadequate NHS staffing levels

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 05 Nov, 2015 11:15 pm

Natalie Rowe is on fire tonight. Saying there's a big scandal about to blow which could lead to - amongst others - Dave's downfall. Nip over there and enjoy.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Thu 05 Nov, 2015 11:27 pm

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

George Osborne to raid Iain Duncan Smith's Universal Credit
George Osborne and Iain Duncan Smith clash over plans to soften the impact of tax credit cuts by raiding the budget for Universal Credit

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 05 Nov, 2015 11:30 pm

Anonymous jobseeker: Why the Universal Credit system is not working
https://www.commonspace.scot/articles/2 ... ot-working" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Fri 06 Nov, 2015 12:04 am

HindleA wrote:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... redit.html

George Osborne to raid Iain Duncan Smith's Universal Credit
George Osborne and Iain Duncan Smith clash over plans to soften the impact of tax credit cuts by raiding the budget for Universal Credit

Are there enough people on Universal Credit to make much difference?

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Fri 06 Nov, 2015 12:09 am

Good point.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Fri 06 Nov, 2015 12:11 am

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Fri 06 Nov, 2015 12:33 am

The National Grid comments below the line are insightful over on the G.

Ed Miliband 'in 2008', 'the greenies', wind turbines, solar power and other renewable energy sources are all responsible for any energy problem we're experiencing. No kidding. Fear and trolls. People already get fed lies. When threatened with power cuts or something else close to home, all critical thinking stops. Disastrous.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Fri 06 Nov, 2015 12:34 am

Goodnight, everyone.
love,
cJA

LadyCentauria · Post by **LadyCentauria** » Fri 06 Nov, 2015 1:32 am

Tubby Isaacs wrote:
HindleA wrote:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... redit.html

George Osborne to raid Iain Duncan Smith's Universal Credit
George Osborne and Iain Duncan Smith clash over plans to soften the impact of tax credit cuts by raiding the budget for Universal Credit
Are there enough people on Universal Credit to make much difference?

Good question. I don't recall seeing a recent update on the numbers. They were claiming around 66,000 earlier this year but I think other estimates were quite a bit lower.

seeingclearly · Post by **seeingclearly** » Fri 06 Nov, 2015 1:57 am

rebeccariots2 wrote:I just heard a loud 'for fucks sake' coming from Mr Riots in the next room. I went to investigate. He's just heard that we need to raise £100,000 to save Margaret Thatcher's clothes for the nation. He says they can have some of his old pants for free. Great minds think alike HindleA, eh.

Haha, this really made me laugh out loud because after I posred last night I was thinking of the 'protest pants' hung out at Manchester as mark of contempt for IDS, and wondering if any left leaning philanthropist would offer something for them, perhaps to be as part of a disabled peoples history of these times. It was a serious thought, because Id been reading something on that kind of social history, and IDS is now so associated with opression, anyway it made me really think how these histories are only really recorded if some noteworthy event happens, very often devastating. If they were keeping Thatchers clothes to remember someone who inflicted great hardship and caused generational fracturing of communities I'd be ok with it, but the people who wish to save them want to do so for reasons of pomp and reverence. In truth I'd rather have Mr Riots underpants with his suitable expression of scorn! Still wondering though if the protesters ones could be used start some kind of fund to help those in difficulty. Could do with a suitable rich lefty candidate........

seeingclearly · Post by **seeingclearly** » Fri 06 Nov, 2015 2:13 am

LadyCentauria wrote:
Tubby Isaacs wrote:
HindleA wrote:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... redit.html

George Osborne to raid Iain Duncan Smith's Universal Credit
George Osborne and Iain Duncan Smith clash over plans to soften the impact of tax credit cuts by raiding the budget for Universal Credit
Are there enough people on Universal Credit to make much difference?
Good question. I don't recall seeing a recent update on the numbers. They were claiming around 66,000 earlier this year but I think other estimates were quite a bit lower.

The budget for UC is/was huge, because of all the ongoing development costs, if they scrapped it there would potentially be huge savings because its by no means anywhere near ready to roll out, and given its aims is unlikely to meet its end targets. it would be a way out of embarassment further down the line. I's not just what they are spending on the client group, of whom there are reports that quite a high percentage have asked to be returned to the old benefits.

seeingclearly · Post by **seeingclearly** » Fri 06 Nov, 2015 2:44 am

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Anonymous jobseeker: Why the Universal Credit system is not working
https://www.commonspace.scot/articles/2 ... ot-working" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Good grief, RR, this is even worse than the other accounts that I have read, and they were pretty awaful. I'm posting really to say that this person might be seen as having been more fortunate than some, if I'm reading it right, as they seemed to have been able to access some interim help. This, the select committee headed by Frank Field (see HindleAs post yesterday) was given evidence of by the CAB advisor, is only available for the first 21 days of the claim, after that there will be no eligibility. Clients are rarely told about this though, instead they are told it will take several weeks to process their claim and they should wait till they are contacted. The CAB person said this was one of the most common issues they had to deal with.

The whole thing seems unbelievably cumbersome and unworkable, and the 35 hours jobseeking requirement verges on insane. Just the waste of normal human living not just for the clients but also advisors seems bizarre, and I had to wonder whether other regimes anywhere are like this. If none exist then why the heck are we even doing this, discussions at committee level show people acting as though these things are perfectly reasonable. If other countries have such systems please I would like to know where they are to show some solidarity with them. Dont studies show that left to their own devices most people find work faster eithout such interventions?