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Is The Teaching Profession so Black & White?
Newspaper Articles
| Politics within Education |
Courtesy: Alex Cole-Hamilton is Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP for Edinburgh Western - Edinburgh News 19.05.21
"Far Left's Academic Takeover!
Left Wing Education [1-2]
CHAPTER
I’m told many are unable to sleep because of stress, and that anxiety is on the increase. Put simply, the alternative arrangements imposed by the SQA for this year’s exams are clearly and indisputably causing harm to young people and their teachers.
To claim, as the First Minister has done, that the SQA’s demand for evidence-based grading is the same as teacher judgement shows a misunderstanding of the Scottish government’s own policies on the ground, and the turmoil pupils, teachers and parents are in.
Teachers are being paid less than minimum wage for the additional time that’s being asked of them because the extra payment made available to them is so small.
They are expected to produce the exams, create the marking schemes and then mark them. They are being instructed to assure quality, and translate those marks into grades, like an exam board would traditionally do. It is unclear why the SQA has removed themselves from so many of their normal responsibilities.
These reports bring a troubling sense of déjà vu with them. Last year, all warnings were ignored by both John Swinney and the SQA until the damage had been done. I worry the same has happened again.
There are no minutes from meetings held between the government and the SQA about this, so we will never know the reasoning and thinking behind this policy.
The new Parliament should force reform of the busted SQA. Decision makers need to be upfront and accountable. Staff need support. But most urgently pupils need help to get through this period and reassurance that they will be awarded grades that they truly deserve.
To claim, as the First Minister has done, that the SQA’s demand for evidence-based grading is the same as teacher judgement shows a misunderstanding of the Scottish government’s own policies on the ground, and the turmoil pupils, teachers and parents are in.
Teachers are being paid less than minimum wage for the additional time that’s being asked of them because the extra payment made available to them is so small.
They are expected to produce the exams, create the marking schemes and then mark them. They are being instructed to assure quality, and translate those marks into grades, like an exam board would traditionally do. It is unclear why the SQA has removed themselves from so many of their normal responsibilities.
These reports bring a troubling sense of déjà vu with them. Last year, all warnings were ignored by both John Swinney and the SQA until the damage had been done. I worry the same has happened again.
There are no minutes from meetings held between the government and the SQA about this, so we will never know the reasoning and thinking behind this policy.
The new Parliament should force reform of the busted SQA. Decision makers need to be upfront and accountable. Staff need support. But most urgently pupils need help to get through this period and reassurance that they will be awarded grades that they truly deserve.
The Secretary of State for Education, also referred to as the Education Secretary, is a senior Minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom, and head of the Department for Education.The office forms part of the British Cabinet.. The current Secretary of State for Education is Gavin Williamson, MP since his appointment by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in July 2019.
John Swinney was appointed Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills in May 2016. The Cabinet Secretary is responsible for: educational attainment, qualifications and closing the attainment gap modern languages and the Gaelic and Scots languages
What is going on here?
Who is in charge here? Ministers or Bureaucrats?
Boris Johnson Ex-PM
eats cake!
eats cake!
Nicola Sturgeon
First Minister of Scotland
First Minister of Scotland
14 years in power and still nothing, or is it less?
So much for devolution!
The British People Demand Accountability and Action to Rectify this Problem Today!
NGW 19.05.21 updated: 09.10.22
Not the Best Choices!
Michelle Donelan was appointed Minister of State for Higher and Further Education on 15 September 2021. She was previously appointed as Minister for Universities at the Department for Education on 13 February 2020.
The Rt Hon Nadhim Zahawi MP. Nadhim Zahawi was appointed Secretary of State for Education on 15 September 2021. He was previously appointed as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Education from 9 January 2018 to 26 July 2019. ...
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Gone!
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