What are the hot topics in the world of education at the moment? Here we take our regular flick through the papers, to see what’s got people talking. From one school where dancing is seen as the best start to the day, to teachers in trouble over the use of music videos and controversial calls for climate change to be taken out of the curriculum – join us and have your say.

Climate change off the curriculum

A top government adviser, charged with an overhaul of the school syllabus in England, has said climate change should not be included in the national curriculum.

In an interview with The Guardian, Tim Oates said there is a need to get back to teaching the ‘science in science’, and that it should be up to schools to decide how they engage pupils on issues of climate change – and whether to do so at all.

Climate change has featured in the national curriculum since 1995. Those opposing to its removal from the classroom have warned it may make science less interesting for pupils and allow sceptical teachers to abandon teaching the subject altogether.

Oates is also calling for algebra to be taught from a younger age. His full review of the curriculum for five- to 16-year-olds will be published later this year.

Best way to start the day…get dancing!

For one infant school in Hampshire, dancing is the only way to start the day, reports the BBC. Pupils at Liss Infant School are treated to a short song and dance session each morning, before they start their first lesson – and it’s working wonders for their learning, according to teachers.

Around 180 five to seven-year-olds brave all weathers to take part in the motivational dance routine, performed each morning in the school playground.

US teacher in trouble over playlist

Meanwhile across the pond, a teacher from the Amercian state of Massachusetts has landed in hot water after showing pupils risqué music videos, as part of a lesson on media analysis. Parents reacted strongly to Eminems’s ‘Superman’, and Jessy J’s ‘Do it like a dude’ videos being played to pupils.

One enraged parent went straight to the police, who confirmed the versions used were edited and not ‘obscene’. Yet many parents remain unhappy and an investigation is underway, reports the Metro West Daily News. 

Failing schools to become academies

Education Secretary Michael Gove has announced that hundreds of failing primary schools could be removed from local authority control and converted into academies under new government plans, reports the Daily Telegraph.

While addressing head teachers in Birmingham, Mr Gove warned that Britain risks falling behind developing economies unless the pace of improvement in the education system is accelerated.

Plans to ‘clamp down’ on the worst performing schools in the country could see hundreds become academies and placed under the control of a third party sponsor, who will have more powers over management, including admissions and pay.

Secondary schools will also be ordered to ensure that at least half of pupils leave with five good GCSEs, including English and maths, by 2015.

From Radio 2 to the classroom

Radio 2 breakfast show host, Chris Evans, is waving goodbye to his long-time sidekick Jonny Saunders, as he quits the popular show to become a teacher.

Sports reporter Jonny, 36, has completed an Open University teaching degree and now plans to give lessons in English and games at a secondary school.

Speaking about his decision, Jonny explained that teaching is something he has always been passionate about. The married dad-of-two told the Daily Mirror that working on the radio show had been ‘an absolute joy… but there’s only so long one can cope with the 3.50am alarm calls.’

Seeing double at one school

A primary school in Stockport is facing an unusual challenge, as it welcomes a multitude of twins into its classrooms.

St John’s Primary in Heaton Mersey now has six sets of twins – three of which are identical, and all aged between four and 10, reports the BBC (link launches video and report).

And finally….

New comedy ‘doesn’t send good message about teachers’

Finding that Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake have joined the teaching staff at your school must be a dream for many pupils – and teaching staff alike! Sadly, it’s only a reality in the latest Hollywood film to delve into the teaching profession, ‘Bad Teacher’.

The film comedy centres on a teacher with her sights set on bagging a rich man. It sees some major misbehaving in the classroom and ‘doesn’t exactly send out a good message about teachers,’ concludes a review by Ok! Magazine.

Tweet

Teaching unions have announced their intention to strike later in the month in defence of members’ pensions – a move that could close thousands of schools and which has been described as ‘irresponsible and wrong’ by Cabinet Minister Francis Maude.

The National Union of Teachers (NUT) has announced ‘overwhelming endorsement for strike action by its members to defend teachers’ pensions’. The union will be campaigning alongside the Association of Teachers and Lecturers – traditionally the most moderate of the teaching unions.

‘Pay more, work longer and get less’
The NUT believes that teachers’ pensions are fair and affordable. It says the Government wants teachers to ‘pay more, work longer and get less’. It accuses the government of ‘pressing ahead with unnecessary reforms despite the changes already made to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme in 2007’.

NUT General Secretary Christine Blower said, ‘The Government’s unnecessary attack on public sector pensions has convinced NUT members that there is no alternative but to support strike action’.

‘It is disgraceful that the Government is pressing ahead with its reforms which will affect teachers’ pensions. The Government knows that they are affordable. This is a policy which has nothing to do with economics and everything to do with politics.’

‘The NUT is party to the TUC negotiations with Government to protect public sector pensions. It is not too late for common sense to prevail and for these unnecessary changes to be stopped. It is in no one’s interest to create a whole new swathe of people who are a burden on the taxpayer in old age.’

‘Irresponsible and wrong…’
However, cabinet office minister Francis Maude has appealed to those planning to strike to reconsider, calling the move ‘irresponsible and wrong.’

A spokesperson for the Department for Education (DfE) said; ‘The Government is committed to working openly and constructively with unions to ensure that teachers continue to receive high quality pensions and that the interests of all professionals are represented fully as pension reform is taken forward.’

‘Lord Hutton has made it clear that there needs to be a balance between a common framework for all schemes and the need for flexibility to take account of specific workforce circumstances, such as those of the teaching workforce.’

‘We are clear that a strike by teachers will only damage pupils’ learning and inconvenience their busy working parents. The wellbeing and safety of pupils must remain paramount.’

What are your thoughts about the upcoming teacher strike? Will you be taking part in it or do you think it will do more harm than good?

Tweet

Education Secretary Michael Gove MP has launched a consultation which he says will make the school admissions process simpler, fairer and more transparent for all parents.

The Department for Education (DfE) says the two current Admission Codes stretch to more than 130 pages and impose more than 600 mandatory requirements on admissions authorities. It says that the process is complex, confusing, costly and unfair, and that the current Admissions Code and Appeals Code undermine parental choice.

The proposed changes would see two new codes created. Together, the two slimmed-down documents will contain around half as many requirements.

The DfE says the proposals will make it easier for popular schools to take more pupils, improve in-year applications so it’s quicker to find a new school, ban local authorities from using area-wide ‘lotteries’ and reduce bureaucracy.

The consultation also asks whether academies and free schools should be able to prioritise children receiving the pupil premium, as announced in the Schools White Paper last year.

‘Good schools must be able to grow’

‘The school system has rationed good schools,’ claimed Michael Gove. ‘Some families can go private or move house. Many families cannot afford to do either. The system must change. Schools should be run by teachers who know the children’s names and they should be more accountable to parents, not politicians. Good schools should be able to grow and we need more of them’.

‘Two-tier system’

Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, Andy Burnham MP, suggested that the new code would make it harder for the majority of parents: ‘Step by step this Tory-led Government is eroding the principle of fair admissions and moving towards a two-tier system. Parents will be worried by this code, which signals the way for an increase in selection at age 11 and a return to the days of grammars and secondary moderns. This code will make it easier for some parents – like those setting up free schools – to get the school they want, but by weakening the system overall, it will make it harder for the majority of parents.’

The new codes will not affect the next admissions round (for entry in September 2012) but will take effect for the September 2013 intake.

See this BBC article for an in-depth discussion on who will benefit from the new school admissions code and feel free to share your views on school admissions with other Eteach readers below.

Tweet

In a bid to prevent schools hiding bad pupil behaviour, Education Secretary Michael Gove has said he wants Ofsted to start performing more surprise checks. This could help to get a more accurate picture of what is actually happening in schools on a day to day basis as opposed to when they have had time to prepare for an inspection.

According to reports, when schools know they have an upcoming inspection, some of them ask unruly pupils to stay at home to prevent any disruption on the day. As well as this, weaker teachers have been invited to stay at home so the strong teachers can be used to represent the school in the best possible light.

Whilst these actions paint schools in a very favourable manner, they can be detrimental to staff and students as it means that serious behavioural issues occurring at the school are being covered up and are never dealt with.

Mr Gove is arguing that if Ofsted is aware of what is really happening in schools, then any problems can be tackled and it will help to bridge the gap between the levels of performance in the best and the worst schools.

Do you think that more no-notice inspections should be carried out by Ofsted or would this be unfair on teachers and put increased pressure on them?

Tweet

The children’s commissioner for England has said that more schools should involve pupils when it comes to recruiting new teachers.

A survey has revealed that 87% of children feel they know what makes a good teacher and two-thirds would like to be more involved in the recruiting process. Despite these figures, at the moment only 18% of pupils are reported to be involved when a new teacher is selected for their school.

Those in favour of pupils playing a more active role in teacher recruitment argue that young people are a school’s customers and see lots of different teaching styles over the course of their education. Taking this into consideration, it makes sense to make use of this experience when recruiting staff.  

However, groups who are opposed to putting pupils on the interview panel fear that this would undermine the authority of teachers and think it’s another example of how teachers are given fewer rights simply because they work with children.

If students did become part of the recruiting process, it has been assured that they will be given proper training and support and it would be less about putting them in charge and more about simply bringing a different and valuable point of view to the process.

Do you think that involving pupils in the process of recruiting teachers will help schools to find quality staff or will this move completely undermine the authority of teachers?

Tweet