Says that all schools will now teach “British values”.

O.K. so, er… what are they, then?

Vague enough to be whatever he wants

Small-minded bigotry.
Whinging about the weather.
Arguing about parking.

Pretty sure we privatised all the rest.

The ancient tradition of trying to blow up politicians in november?

The state ending in cavalry at Peterloo to break up a demonstration by 60,000 people demanding the right to vote?

Margaret Thatcher using the power of the state to destroy unions representing hard working people?

Toby Blair ignoring a million people taking to the streets and invading Iraq?

whats really funny is that this has exploded because Gove and May are sparring over who gets to be the next leader of the Tory party

both of them seem to love their bombaastic announcements on how they will set the world to rights, yet their departments lurch from one omnishambles to the next

Isn’t it indifference? And world weary cynicism?

*sigh*

The whole thing is one huge facepalm.

There’s some crackers on here;

https://twitter.com/hashtag/BritishValues?f=realtime&src=hash

“taking the piss” seems to sum it up, really.

Stopping secular schools spending taxpayers money taking children on a trip to Saudi Arabia (as long as they are Muslims) ?

Stopping secular schools spending taxpayers money taking children on a trip to Saudi Arabia (as long as they are Muslims) ?

Proper British values would be stopping *any* state funded school doing that.

In fact stopping state funding of religious schools would be British.

+1 for stopping any religious group running schools.

If people want to practice religion it should be done at home.

allthepies – Member
Stopping secular schools spending taxpayers money taking children on a trip to Saudi Arabia lourdes (as long as they are Muslims catholic/dont like gay people) ?

religion should not be involved in education other than being taught as an interesting facet of history

Gove expanding Tony Blairs academey and faith/ free school programme was always going to lead to this kind of disaster

open education provision to anyone; charities, religions, private companies and you get a myriad of different agendas being pushed on children

its **** madness and needs to be reversed

Gove is **** of the highest order, and I don’t support him in anything else, however…

In context, wasn’t he trying to find the right way of saying that he really didn’t want radicalism / extremism promoted within our schools? Is that so bad? I suppose in that context, Britishness is about acceptance of those who are a bit different to yourself. Sounds awful.

in context isnt this just a bit of rightwing tubthumping as he trys to claw back some shred of credibility after allegations on newsnight he blocked interventions of these schools 2 years ago

you have to love politicians getting into a right mess when Ideology crashes into reality,

wasn’t he trying to find the right way of saying that he really didn’t want radicalism / extremism promoted within our schools?

I thought he was saying he did not want the wrong type of radicalism and extremism taught in schools – they are the wrong religion and lefties have the wrong version of history

So christian and right wing basically
Empire – BRILLIANT
US novels – POO
Christianity- BRILLIANT
Islam – Down with that sort of thing etc

Gove expanding Tony Blairs academey and faith/ free school programme was always going to lead to this kind of disaster

Indeed. The hypocrisy is breathtaking. announcing the independence of schools, and of ‘freeing’ them from local authority control, then acting surprised that they embrace that to go off and do their own thing? You couldn’t make it up!

You can just imagine his response if this had been going on in local authority controlled schools? But this is a direct (and entirely predictable) response to his (and Blairs) ludicrous ideologically driven agenda. I suspect its probably the tip of the iceberg too. I’m sure their aren’t just Muslims who are busy using some pretty barmy methods in the classroom. Creationism anyone?

I am rather enjoying him and Willshaw having a bit of a falling out. 😀 One imagines them as a different version of Captain Blackadder and Little Bobby Parkhurst sharing a post-coital cigarette;
“I wanted to see how schools are run, so badly…”
“You’re in luck – schools haven’t been run this badly since [insert punchline here]”.

kimbers – Member

in context isnt this just a bit of rightwing tubthumping as he trys to claw back some shred of credibility after allegations on newsnight he blocked interventions of these schools 2 years ago

Ah, didn’t know this! Whilst allegations are not the same as fact, this wouldn’t surprise me in the least. What an utter prick.

I asked this before, but I’m not sure anybody (including Gove) knows the answer. What is his utopian vision for our education system, what is it he’s striving for. Surely there must be some logic behind what appears to be one stumbling knee jerk reaction after another? It just can’t simply be incompetence surely?

Its interesting what Gove and Mays very public spat says about Dave. They both obviously consider him as a dead man walking, as he’ll not get an overall majority at the election, so they’re having a pre-emptive squabble to position themselves for the fall out about the succession.

I bet he’s bloody fuming!

What is his utopian vision for our education system, what is it he’s striving for

English Public School circa 1953.

What is his utopian vision for our education system, what is it he’s striving for.

so they’re having a pre-emptive squabble to position themselves for the fall out about the succession.

If the public had to choose between Gove, May or Cameron I wonder who would win….

If the public had to choose between Gove, May or Cameron I wonder who would win….

Its something of an academic question. Everyone knows full well where the power lies in the present Tory party. And who’s dictating the agenda….

Just take a look into those cold, dead eyes
*shudders*

Kimbers: in context isnt this just a bit of rightwing tubthumping as he trys to claw back some shred of credibility after allegations on newsnight he blocked interventions of these schools 2 years ago

That’s not quite right – AFAIK he set the policy that Ofsted would not carry out no-notice inspections of any school or academy.

Erm, point of order, but didn’t it turn out none of these were faith schools?

Gove and May in ‘Pickles sandwich’ as MPs debate ‘Trojan Horse’
🙂

yeah thats right elliot, gove apparently blocked the no notice inspections

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b046nd2n/newsnight-09062014

from about 9-30 onwards

didn’t it turn out none of these were faith schools?

yes, because if they had been nothing about what they’ve done woudl have raised an eyebrow.

The issue has been a creeping islamification (is this a word?) of supposedly secular schools.

For many people the fact that you can put ‘religious school’ above the gate, do exactly what these schools have done and still receive state funding and a glowing ofsted report is part of the problem…

A cup of tea and a digestive for little lunch. Nice and British 🙂

Don’t know about that, but I DO know they were absolutely brilliant last year, and now they’re bobbins. Offsted said so.

but didn’t it turn out none of these were faith schools

i think the point is that they were being run as faith schools, despite not being faith schools.

they werent faith schools ninfan, academies, the type that gove blocked snap inspections of…

all just part of the magic of removing schools from LEA supervision

opening up education to anyone who wants to have a go
elected police comissioners
privatising the post office
elderly care….
etc
etc
wonderful right wing ideology driving policy and giving the people what they never wanted

Parental choice has had an unintended consequence.

the type that gove blocked snap inspections of…

Wasn’t the prospect of no-notice inspections railed against by all, in particular the unions, and the decision not to impose them praised by all?

http://www.naht.org.uk/welcome/news-and-media/key-topics/inspections-and-accountability/ofsted-withdraw-threat-of-no-notice-inspections/
http://www.voicetheunion.org.uk/index.cfm?cid=856
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-18255040

all just part of the magic of removing schools from LEA supervision

Didn’t the report into these schools say that the LEA had been informed and failed to act?

its just another massive flaw in the academies programme ninfan, outside of LEA supervision the DfE is reliant on ofsted to come in and their disruptive inspections

Its all part of the centralisation of control for pretty much everything. By the time this lot have finished, Local Authorities will just be responsible for selecting which one of G4S, Capita or Serco are selected for providing basic services like cleaning the streets and emptying the bins.

Education, Healthcare, Policing, and anything of any consequence will be run from central fiefdoms in Whitehall, who will dole out mega-contracts to their preferred bidders private sector mates. All covered by commercial confidentiality clauses of course, thus ensuring pretty much zero democratic accountability for anything.

Its pretty apparent to anyone with half a brain, that things like education are being taken out of local authority control, paving the way for what is effectively privatisation

The fact that you’ve got Pickles calling this ‘localism’ is all part of the governments ‘Unspeak’. Say one thing, complete with catchy buzzwords, and management/marketing speak, and some nice posters, then do the exact opposite.

Ofsted has piloted and been able to use no-notice inspections since 2009, and this has been in the guidance for schools since 2009.

I understand that the current regime is for Ofsted to give 12 hours’ notice, and then observe 20 minutes of a lesson. I very much doubt that arrangement is a reliable guide to the effectiveness of a teacher.

@midlifecrashes: I thought this came down to “no notice” being redefined to mean “about half a day’s notice”?