Some will say that the headline I have started with is a bit severe, or maybe in the wrong context.
But maybe they don't realise the full implication of the new rules, maybe it will be easier now to dispose of poorly performing teachers, but what will stop it being used for administrative bullying also, the scope of this plan is too wide.
It leaves open the possibility of bullying in the workplace to a far greater degree, some teachers are definitely territorial, when a new teacher arrives many see it as a threat. Why because the education system is in such a bad way no one feels they have job security anymore, yes this is true of many professions.
They however do not have the extra incumbent of having an Education Minister breathing down their neck's with impossible performance targets, the Minister on Breakfast Television this morning made a clear statement and I quote
" If a year is not improving with each term that Teacher is at fault ?"
He has not taken into consideration many factors as to why this is just an impossible target.
Fact one , Many students that are at the lower end of the learning curve are there due to the fact that they do not have the backup we had, cut backs and financial term reports have reduced the Teaching faculty in many schools to a bare minimum.
Fact two As much as the Minister would like to deny it social and economic strains within the family unit, puts many children at a severe disadvantage before they even walk through the school doors.
Fact Three At one time Mother was at home to guide the child through the early years, helping with the primary lessons a pupil had to master . Reading , Writing, Arithmetic, and in many cases religious instruction ( something sadly lacking in schools today ) these are lessons that continue beyond the schools gates at home, but due to the fact many young families work just to make ends meet this often will not happen .
The pupils themselves are far different than we had been also, they see the world we built and are not that overly impressed, Youth unemployment at an all time high, Apprentice placements none existent, the enormous influx of foreign migrant workers taking our children's jobs. What have they to be impressed about as far as I can see nothing.
For this reason many of the Older students do not see the point in working hard to attain levels of education to help them get a job, they see this as a falsehood due to the fact that so many Youngsters are out of work who have good qualifications that have stood them no help at all .
This feeds back into the classroom and a teacher has an enormous task to motivate a class who will just not be motivated. The younger pupils who are not allowed to be chastised for any wrong doing due to the rules on punishment in schools now, would rather be at home on their Xbox than learning at school and many purposely play to this for daily exclusions where they are sent home . The system seems to think this is a punishment, well it's about time they took their illustrious heads out of the dark place they have them and realise. There are some pupils who simply don't want to be there, and the few that do are suffering because the education system has let them down not the Teachers.
So to the Ministers reasoning that if the class is not improving each year it is the Teachers fault, let me ask when was the last time he took a class of 30 pre- pubecent teenagers who had no respect for anyone or anything save themselves. Oh just a moment he never has after all he is not a Teacher and never has been, so maybe before he starts saying that the failure of all students is down to the teachers maybe he should do the job himself .
Teaching as a vocation is dying many youngsters who leave University now would never even consider becoming Teachers, one because they see the hours that teachers work with admin is unreal .
Because the pupils are allowed to run wild and are not allowed firm discipline. Because the pay that is however good does not justify the abuse that is leveled at a teacher from both sides .
I can say this with some conviction , as my own Daughter trained to become a teacher and decided against it after spending some time in our schools . During this time she was abused by the children and not allowed to put them in their place through adequate punishment, and decided that the job was not for her as she could not stand the bad behaviour of the children and the inability to correct the problem . Even by the Teacher who was responsible for the class was told, do anything with your degree but don't teach it's not worth it any more .
So when hardened staff are feeling despondent how is this new rule going to help an already despondent profession .
