Comments for Conservative Education Society http://cnes4education.wordpress.com The official Education Special Interest Group of the Conservative Party Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:42:38 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on CES Membership Form by Philip Bujak http://cnes4education.wordpress.com/leaflet/#comment-587 Philip Bujak Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:42:38 +0000 http://cnes4education.wordpress.com/?page_id=54#comment-587 Fascinating stuff and very impressed with your work. Thank you for stimulating the debate now lets get on and elect the new government and put an end to fiddling with education. Fascinating stuff and very impressed with your work. Thank you for stimulating the debate now lets get on and elect the new government and put an end to fiddling with education.

]]> Comment on The OU and its associate lecturers by Matthew P http://cnes4education.wordpress.com/2009/08/08/the-ou-and-its-associate-lecturers/#comment-562 Matthew P Thu, 03 Sep 2009 08:56:02 +0000 http://cnes4education.wordpress.com/?p=226#comment-562 I'm an associate lecturer with the Open University, and I can see no evidence whatsoever that the introduction of electronic marking for assignments has doubled the time it takes. Of course in some cases electronic marking can increase marking times, particularly when the system is first used. My experience having trained over 100 ALs in using the system, is that marking times reduce as you get more familiar with how it works. Do you have any substantial empirical evidence for this claim, or did you just extrapolate your personal experience, and turn it into a universal 'truth' to bolster your case. I’m an associate lecturer with the Open University, and I can see no evidence whatsoever that the introduction of electronic marking for assignments has doubled the time it takes. Of course in some cases electronic marking can increase marking times, particularly when the system is first used. My experience having trained over 100 ALs in using the system, is that marking times reduce as you get more familiar with how it works.

Do you have any substantial empirical evidence for this claim, or did you just extrapolate your personal experience, and turn it into a universal ‘truth’ to bolster your case.

]]> Comment on Were there good reasons for a high-achieving grammar school to be put in special measures? by Will Jackson http://cnes4education.wordpress.com/2009/03/31/were-there-good-reasons-for-a-high-achieving-grammar-school-to-be-put-in-special-measures/#comment-528 Will Jackson Thu, 30 Jul 2009 08:52:18 +0000 http://cnes4education.wordpress.com/?p=148#comment-528 I think Ofsted ´picked on´ a grammar school because 99% of so-called failing schools serve areas of severe deprivation: drug abuse, family breakdown, unemployment and lawlessness. This has made Ofsted sensitive to the charge that it fails schools in the toughest areas thus making life in these areas even worse. Pouring fuel on the fire. So, to even things out and to show that they are ´even-handed´ and tough on the middle classes too, they have done this. Someone once wrote, in the early days of Ofsted under the leadership of Woodhead, that the organization is ´morally and intellectually bankrupt´. That was true then and it is even more true now. I think Ofsted ´picked on´ a grammar school because 99% of so-called failing schools serve areas of severe deprivation: drug abuse, family breakdown, unemployment and lawlessness. This has made Ofsted sensitive to the charge that it fails schools in the toughest areas thus making life in these areas even worse. Pouring fuel on the fire.
So, to even things out and to show that they are ´even-handed´ and tough on the middle classes too, they have done this. Someone once wrote, in the early days of Ofsted under the leadership of Woodhead, that the organization is ´morally and intellectually bankrupt´. That was true then and it is even more true now.

]]> Comment on Programme 2009 by Gary Bland http://cnes4education.wordpress.com/programme-2009/#comment-410 Gary Bland Wed, 10 Jun 2009 21:42:21 +0000 http://cnes4education.wordpress.com/?page_id=125#comment-410 Dear Sirs Can you provide me with details of when you expect to hold other CES meetings this year? Thank you Dear Sirs

Can you provide me with details of when you expect to hold other CES meetings this year?

Thank you

]]> Comment on Douglas Carswell outlines his thoughts on a Conservative education policy by Ronnie King http://cnes4education.wordpress.com/2009/03/05/douglas-carswell-outlines-his-thoughts-on-a-conservative-education-policy/#comment-406 Ronnie King Tue, 09 Jun 2009 06:54:12 +0000 http://cnes4education.wordpress.com/?p=131#comment-406 Dear Douglas, I await a Conservative government with a lot of fear. Firstly I am very concerned that the Conservative party will blame educators instead of working with them. I am also concerned that they will continue to measure schools in challenging economic areas using FFt data(which is incorrectly used), this sets up schools for failure particulary when type A- D data is used.Teachers need to be encouraged not constantly blamed for failure in society, which by and large is a consequence of economic failings and a lack of social mobility. Dear Douglas,
I await a Conservative government with a lot of fear. Firstly I am very concerned that the Conservative party will blame educators instead of working with them. I am also concerned that they will continue to measure schools in challenging economic areas using FFt data(which is incorrectly used), this sets up schools for failure particulary when type A- D data is used.Teachers need to be encouraged not constantly blamed for failure in society, which by and large is a consequence of economic failings and a lack of social mobility.

]]> Comment on We welcome Robert Halfon’s Essay by Phillip King http://cnes4education.wordpress.com/2008/09/29/we-welcome-robert-haflons-essay/#comment-35 Phillip King Mon, 27 Oct 2008 20:48:53 +0000 http://cnes4education.wordpress.com/?p=39#comment-35 I do agree with the comment from Christopher Jolly, one of the keys is making parents and schools directly reliant on one another, IMO, the only way this can be achieved me is by having a model where funding follows the child. As a governor at 2 secondary schools and with children in school of my own, the experiences I have had and seen suggests to me that this type of policy is one which parents will embrace. The educational mafia on the other hand will be almost 100% against it, as it will weaken their power and grip on policy etc I do agree with the comment from Christopher Jolly, one of the keys is making parents and schools directly reliant on one another, IMO, the only way this can be achieved me is by having a model where funding follows the child.

As a governor at 2 secondary schools and with children in school of my own, the experiences I have had and seen suggests to me that this type of policy is one which parents will embrace. The educational mafia on the other hand will be almost 100% against it, as it will weaken their power and grip on policy etc

]]> Comment on We welcome Robert Halfon’s Essay by Christopher Jolly http://cnes4education.wordpress.com/2008/09/29/we-welcome-robert-haflons-essay/#comment-34 Christopher Jolly Wed, 01 Oct 2008 09:22:50 +0000 http://cnes4education.wordpress.com/?p=39#comment-34 I accept the sincerity of Robert Halfon's aims but not his prescription for more bureaucracy. Elected school boards in North America have singly failed to achieve the extended services he advocates. Instead he should look closer to home. Private schools in this country have an excellent record of doing just what he advocates. The answer is not to privatize schools but to give them the same dependence on parents that private schools have. The model of funding following the child, as seen in Sweden, and as advocated by Michael Gove in the Conservative Conference, is a much better way forward for these laudable aims. I accept the sincerity of Robert Halfon’s aims but not his prescription for more bureaucracy. Elected school boards in North America have singly failed to achieve the extended services he advocates. Instead he should look closer to home. Private schools in this country have an excellent record of doing just what he advocates. The answer is not to privatize schools but to give them the same dependence on parents that private schools have. The model of funding following the child, as seen in Sweden, and as advocated by Michael Gove in the Conservative Conference, is a much better way forward for these laudable aims.

]]> Comment on “School Essay” by Robert Halfon, PPC for Harlow by Jamie Holts http://cnes4education.wordpress.com/2008/09/29/school-essay-by-robert-haflon-ppc-for-harlow/#comment-31 Jamie Holts Mon, 29 Sep 2008 20:57:06 +0000 http://cnes4education.wordpress.com/?p=34#comment-31 Great post. I will read your posts frequently. Added you to the RSS reader. Great post. I will read your posts frequently. Added you to the RSS reader.

]]> Comment on About Conservative Education Society by Krystal Miller http://cnes4education.wordpress.com/about/#comment-30 Krystal Miller Mon, 11 Aug 2008 09:21:50 +0000 #comment-30 Hello I am the lead member for schools on Merton Council and i would be interested in finding out more about CNES. Do you have any information you could send me? Kind regards Krystal Miller Hello

I am the lead member for schools on Merton Council and i would be interested in finding out more about CNES. Do you have any information you could send me?

Kind regards
Krystal Miller

]]> Comment on A bouncer to throw out the troublemakers? by cnes4education http://cnes4education.wordpress.com/2008/01/03/a-bouncer-to-throw-out-the-troublemakers/#comment-8 cnes4education Mon, 07 Jan 2008 15:59:13 +0000 http://cnes4education.wordpress.com/2008/01/03/a-bouncer-to-throw-out-the-troublemakers/#comment-8 Many thanks for these interesting comments, which look at the issue from three quite different viewpoints. Let's keep the debate going. TG Many thanks for these interesting comments, which look at the issue from three quite different viewpoints.

Let’s keep the debate going.

TG

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