For the past five years ideology has trumped children’s needs,says Sir Alan Steer, leaving poorer pupils behind. The priority of the next government must be to treasure the teachersThe English school system is not underachieving. Among its 23000 schools are examples of excellence to compare with any in the world – and standards today are incomparably higher than 40 years ago. A far wider section of society now benefits from a apt education than would believe been accurate in the instant postwar period. As acknowledged in the 2014 report from the chief inspector of schools, and there is much to applaud.
Unfortunately the success of the majority is not the complete picture. whether most children succeed in realising their potential,some do not. whether most schools continue to improve, a minority appear stuck in mediocrity. What is especially worrying is that the underperformance of children has a tendency to affect specific groups, or particularly those from deprived backgrounds. Explanations offered for this rarely survive close examination.
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Source: theguardian.com