Chalk Talk: Lesson one - don't pay too much attention to the Government

 

News in pictures
News in pictures
On Facebook
From the blogs

Asylum seekers: When the questions tell us so much more than the answers

For the last four years I've been paying my karmic dues (I would say "contributing to the big societ...

Thanks to The Sun, for enriching each of our lives

Those at the super-soaraway Sun are, yet again, making outlandish claims that they’ve changed the wo...

Ones to watch: Aiden Grimshaw to Hey Sholay

With so much new music coming out it’s difficult to keep track of what’s out there. It’s a lucky dip...

Banter Bigotry: It’s only a joke, love

Banter is a very odd thing. As an activity it provides a handy shelter for bigots to flex their ant...

To the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust conference in Birmingham, where headteachers were told that they should not take the Government's education reforms too seriously. The exhortation came from Sir Ken Robinson, the international expert on promoting creativity in education, who said that if they wait for government reforms to raise standards, many of their pupils will miss out because they will have left school.

"It's important for people in the profession not to get the Government's role out of proportion," he told me. "They came in with a wave of revolutionary zeal – mainly regressive rather than progressive. However, change is much more sophisticated than waiting for the latest White Paper to raise standards." Instead, they should ensure they have a tailor-made curriculum to develop the needs of each pupil. "Every child has talent," he said. "It's just a question of teasing it out."

Sir Ken chaired a national commission on creativity, education and the economy a decade ago for the then Labour government. He has advised governments around the world on how best to promote creativity in the classroom. In his speech, he also criticised what he sees as an over-concentration on the so-called STEM subjects – science, technology, engineering and maths. "As important as they are – and they are – the whole message is that if you're not good at science or technology or these activities then we don't need you at the moment," he said.

But the assembled heads took heart from the fact that the Government didn't matter.

A reflection on the one-day pensions strike last week that was apparently a "damp squib", according to Prime Minister David Cameron. Apparently, support spread to Washington, where there was a picket of the British Embassy organised by the National Education Association, which has 3.2 million members. Meanwhile, we may have somewhat underestimated the strength of Education International last week – which backed the strike. It represents 30 million teachers around the world, not 10 million.

r.garner@independent.co.uk

Independent Comment
blog comments powered by Disqus
Career Services

Day In a Page

'I may be deaf, but you can still talk to me'

'I may be deaf, but you can still talk to me'

Being a teenager is hard enough – for those with hearing loss, it can be even more complicated
A right royal trip down the river

A right royal trip down the river

A new exhibition celebrates the glory days of London's mighty Thames
The 10 Best lawn mowers

The 10 Best lawn mowers

From petrol-fuelled to self-propelled
Every second counts

Why does life appear to speed up as we get older?

Matilda Battersby finds out how the clock plays tricks with our minds
Couture on the Croisette: Fashion hits

Couture on the Croisette

The best outfits from the 2012 Cannes Film Festival
Child of the revolution: the Burmese family that democracy brought back together

Home of the free

The Burmese family that democracy brought back together
Cannes review: Canine accolade and Hitler's return are high spots amid the gloom

Cannes review

Frocks, canine accolade and Hitler's return
Robert Fisk: The going price of getting away with murder... would $33m be enough?

The going price of getting away with murder

Robert Fisk: The long view
Principled Skinner rises above the fray

Principled Skinner rises above the fray

Andy McSmith meets Dennis Skinner
Patrick Cockburn: I fear this terrible massacre will be the beginning of a long civil war in Syria

Patrick Cockburn

I fear this terrible massacre will be the beginning of a long civil war in Syria
Hardeep Singh Kohli: For me, it is all about 'Gregory's Girl', a record of first love

Hardeep Singh Kohli

For me, it is all about 'Gregory's Girl', a record of first love
Christian Louboutin: 'I don't think comfort equals happiness'

Christian Louboutin interview

'I don't think comfort equals happiness'
Happy birthday, Hotel Babylon!

Happy birthday, Hotel Babylon!

Hollywood's home to the A-list celebrates 100 years of discreet luxury
Rupert Cornwell: Low-rise capital could finally reach for the sky

Rupert Cornwell: Out of America

Low-rise capital could finally reach for the sky
The secret life of the red carpet

The secret life of the red carpet

As Cannes reaches its climax with the Palme d'Or and the celebrities gather in London for the Baftas tonight, Kate Youde and Jack Dean investigate the real star of the show