Parent Site: http://paragon.myvnc.com Paragon Publications UK
My teaching career in schools, colleges, university and with private training providers has called me to take on many roles over a thirty-five year period. My specialty roles have been working within inner city secondary schools, full-time and supply, with the long term unemployed, managing and developing open learning, IT departments, teaching general curriculum, NVQ Programme and so on.
My work within private training organisations includes business start-up, co-coordinating and managing training centers. The development work includes resources into HR, training and development, teacher training to name but a few.
The purpose to this site is to compliment the Paragon Publications UK on the parent site; http://paragon.myvnc.com; mainly looking at specialised areas of research and development.
From a teaching perspective, this site explores every day teaching and problems faced within the teaching profession, one person’s perspective . The "what you see, is not what you always get, especially when inspectors are due to visit the school or training establishment. What one gets" based on personal experience and observation is sometimes a 'cover-up’! With league tables playing an important role, and can be seen as a form of 'blackmail' to these establishments to perform well, or inevitably be merged or closed to make way for an "academy"!
Is An Academy A Way To Change A Culture?
One needs to accept: To change a culture, one cannot change just the system, staff and attitudes, one needs to also change the environment. By creating an academy, one can create a new establishment, creating a new mindset, with imagination, starting with a 'fresh, new page'.
What do I mean by this? I can use the analogy of a racetrack start line. Everyone starts from the same point, a new beginning and exploration, without established old mindsets of individual's services, 'grandfather rights' and/or privileges. I can reflect on the culture of British Leyland, Longbridge, Birmingham in the 1970's the attempt to change culture from the negativity by changing company name, company buy-outs, sacking of workers, staff and management, only to see the established mindset re-emerge from the foundations, like the “Phoenix emerging from the flames”!. The only way to eradicate the existing negative culture was to close down and demolish the factory.
There is an established culture and mindset within the whole of the Education concept within this country and one needs to look at central/local government, teaching authorities, curriculum, staffing, environment, teachers, parents, pupils; and not forgetting business, services, industry and targeted markets. Very difficult and like changing the NHS, however not impossible.
One of the first tasks is for everyone in the education profession to work towards the same goals. Unfortunately, all the above have their own agenda and established mindsets, hence the failures of meeting the needs of the pupil or student and employer.
Some of the key tasks are: communication, departmentalisation, universal vision, infrastucture development and promotion, evaluation and correction.
Behaviours from pupils are inherent from their peers and most likely their parents too, failed in previous decades of government interference, polices, funding, world and trade developments, environmental changes, job prospects or just employment, educational opportunity and individual/personal motivational issues. A juggling act whereby the 'balls have obviously dropped and everyone is continuing to go through the motions, however ignoring the reality. This is where we are at currently! We as a nation need to look at the 'Education worth' in this country. There are Post Graduates out of work, the unqualified, failed or late developing pupils/students are out of work, this brings a new question to the front, “What are the values or worth of an education and qualifications in the United Kingdom and prestage to the rest of the world?” Are they a ticket to getting appropriate skills, a good job, or any job appropriate to a chosen course of study?
Blinded By The Power Struggle!
Instead of placing the facts on the table, discussing with local government departments, educational agencies, Ministers are alienating the established and reluctant to the processes of change via language and stancing with attacks on local government regional representatives, previous government parties and polices, one can describe the stance as rheteric, bullying or pushing ideas forward with force only to score points to gain personal and party prestige. “With power comes responsibility”, this is also interacting with financial austerity measures and high taxes, the rich, poor divide, trust issues, are obviously not helping with the processes of change. Most down to earth individuals have had enough and there is a need for individuals to retaliate in some way; by reminding the government of their obligations to the people that elected them. However, bearing this in mind and putting the latter to one side for now, we need to look at the issues of focusing on the bigger picture, and addressing the objectives on the list. Hopefully, the government has assessed the infrastructure, policies and we need to look at these issues collectively. All parties, institutions, industry, and importantly the people of this country should also have the opportunity of a say. (or is this down to identity politics, a minority with an agenda 2020 to cancel history to replace with their own narratives or is this chaos generated all to do with Leave or remain concerning Brexit linked to the small minority with Communist or Socialist values)?
My work within private training organisations includes business start-up, co-coordinating and managing training centers. The development work includes resources into HR, training and development, teacher training to name but a few.
The purpose to this site is to compliment the Paragon Publications UK on the parent site; http://paragon.myvnc.com; mainly looking at specialised areas of research and development.
From a teaching perspective, this site explores every day teaching and problems faced within the teaching profession, one person’s perspective . The "what you see, is not what you always get, especially when inspectors are due to visit the school or training establishment. What one gets" based on personal experience and observation is sometimes a 'cover-up’! With league tables playing an important role, and can be seen as a form of 'blackmail' to these establishments to perform well, or inevitably be merged or closed to make way for an "academy"!
Is An Academy A Way To Change A Culture?
One needs to accept: To change a culture, one cannot change just the system, staff and attitudes, one needs to also change the environment. By creating an academy, one can create a new establishment, creating a new mindset, with imagination, starting with a 'fresh, new page'.
What do I mean by this? I can use the analogy of a racetrack start line. Everyone starts from the same point, a new beginning and exploration, without established old mindsets of individual's services, 'grandfather rights' and/or privileges. I can reflect on the culture of British Leyland, Longbridge, Birmingham in the 1970's the attempt to change culture from the negativity by changing company name, company buy-outs, sacking of workers, staff and management, only to see the established mindset re-emerge from the foundations, like the “Phoenix emerging from the flames”!. The only way to eradicate the existing negative culture was to close down and demolish the factory.
There is an established culture and mindset within the whole of the Education concept within this country and one needs to look at central/local government, teaching authorities, curriculum, staffing, environment, teachers, parents, pupils; and not forgetting business, services, industry and targeted markets. Very difficult and like changing the NHS, however not impossible.
One of the first tasks is for everyone in the education profession to work towards the same goals. Unfortunately, all the above have their own agenda and established mindsets, hence the failures of meeting the needs of the pupil or student and employer.
Some of the key tasks are: communication, departmentalisation, universal vision, infrastucture development and promotion, evaluation and correction.
Behaviours from pupils are inherent from their peers and most likely their parents too, failed in previous decades of government interference, polices, funding, world and trade developments, environmental changes, job prospects or just employment, educational opportunity and individual/personal motivational issues. A juggling act whereby the 'balls have obviously dropped and everyone is continuing to go through the motions, however ignoring the reality. This is where we are at currently! We as a nation need to look at the 'Education worth' in this country. There are Post Graduates out of work, the unqualified, failed or late developing pupils/students are out of work, this brings a new question to the front, “What are the values or worth of an education and qualifications in the United Kingdom and prestage to the rest of the world?” Are they a ticket to getting appropriate skills, a good job, or any job appropriate to a chosen course of study?
Blinded By The Power Struggle!
Instead of placing the facts on the table, discussing with local government departments, educational agencies, Ministers are alienating the established and reluctant to the processes of change via language and stancing with attacks on local government regional representatives, previous government parties and polices, one can describe the stance as rheteric, bullying or pushing ideas forward with force only to score points to gain personal and party prestige. “With power comes responsibility”, this is also interacting with financial austerity measures and high taxes, the rich, poor divide, trust issues, are obviously not helping with the processes of change. Most down to earth individuals have had enough and there is a need for individuals to retaliate in some way; by reminding the government of their obligations to the people that elected them. However, bearing this in mind and putting the latter to one side for now, we need to look at the issues of focusing on the bigger picture, and addressing the objectives on the list. Hopefully, the government has assessed the infrastructure, policies and we need to look at these issues collectively. All parties, institutions, industry, and importantly the people of this country should also have the opportunity of a say. (or is this down to identity politics, a minority with an agenda 2020 to cancel history to replace with their own narratives or is this chaos generated all to do with Leave or remain concerning Brexit linked to the small minority with Communist or Socialist values)?
A Personal Introduction
The above introduces the reader to some of the topics featured within this site, click on the 'Education Menu' for a more indepth discussion Menu topic.
Nigel G Wilcox (updated 27.11.20)
Return To MENU
Main Title page MENU:
2023 Review
Birmingham ICC 2001
Some touched-on issues:
Many teachers are leaving the profession in their droves due to psychological stress brought on by:
Workload - Continual changes and back pedalling of policies, curriculum infrastructure/programmes...
- to include classroom cover, out of hour marking/preparation, department, pupil/student reviews.
Bullying - pressures from management, based on departmental target and performance, end of term reviews.
- bullying from intimidating pupils/students towards teachers.
- bullying from intimidating parents of pupils/students.
- bullying from management - local/cemtral.
Training days - peer preparation, participation – personal and peer group assessments.
Disciplines - teacher – classroom management, pupil/student
- Safety - teacher safety from violent and abusive pupils
- lack of teacher support from school management concerning the negative and damaging
accusations referred from disruptive and non-cooperative pupils and/or representatives.
- lack of support from teacher central bodies and unions.
- Security - personal responsibilities and safeguard of ‘personal’ and department belongings or property.
Salaries - pay structure policies and broken promises.These are only a few concerns illustrated.
Many teachers are leaving the profession in their droves due to psychological stress brought on by:
Workload - Continual changes and back pedalling of policies, curriculum infrastructure/programmes...
- to include classroom cover, out of hour marking/preparation, department, pupil/student reviews.
Bullying - pressures from management, based on departmental target and performance, end of term reviews.
- bullying from intimidating pupils/students towards teachers.
- bullying from intimidating parents of pupils/students.
- bullying from management - local/cemtral.
Training days - peer preparation, participation – personal and peer group assessments.
Disciplines - teacher – classroom management, pupil/student
- Safety - teacher safety from violent and abusive pupils
- lack of teacher support from school management concerning the negative and damaging
accusations referred from disruptive and non-cooperative pupils and/or representatives.
- lack of support from teacher central bodies and unions.
- Security - personal responsibilities and safeguard of ‘personal’ and department belongings or property.
Salaries - pay structure policies and broken promises.These are only a few concerns illustrated.
Culture - discipline can be viewed as ‘failure’ by established teaching staff; especially when observed with newly
qualified and/or supply teachers. (Supply teachers are normally treated as NQTs, however majority have
extensive years of classroom experience – based upon duration of contract, some are qualified,
however general support is not always present).
H-CRBs - police comments/jargon placed on teacher ECRBs when courts have found them not guilty of the
or DBS accusation or offenses concerning establishment and/or pupils/students. This is now very common and
very damaging to individuals and reputation.
Education & Professional Development
Has this description changed that much in 2021? in 2022? in 2023? see 2023 Review
If you are thinking of going into Education, or you are in Education and are Woke! Ready to Cancel People and History - Don't Go Into Teaching! You are not right for this profession! However, I am Open for Debate!
Are You?
Are You?