Youreditorial,“Championofthedeprived”(lastweek),speaksofOfsted’sannualreportsas“animportantvehicleforairingdifficulttruths”,andlaudsthemforexposingtheeducationsystem’sfailurewiththemostdisadvantagedpupils.In36yearsinthesystem,Ihaveobserved–andperhapsthereforebeencomplicitin–thebehavioursyouhighlight.However,yourchampioningofOfsteddoesnotmentionitsowncentralroleincreatingthisenvironmentinthefirstplace.WithperformancetabledatabeingthemajordeterminantofOfstedoutcomes,theinspectionsystemitselffuelsthebehavioursitcondemns.Additionally,manyschoolsremainuninspectedforyearsandareinapositiontopursue“performance”atwhatevercost–thatcostoftenbeingpassedontootherschoolsDreambeautypro.Whatisneededisabroaderapproachtoinspectionsthatrecognises(viaOfstedoutcomes)thebrilliantworkofthemanyinclusiveschoolsthat,becauseoftheirreluctancetomovedisadvantagedstudentsonandtheirwillingnesstoacceptthosemovedonbyotherschools,mightnotalwayshitthethresholdsheldsodearbytheinspectionframework.Let’shopethatAmandaSpielmanwillusehernewroleto“walkthetalk”inthisDreambeautypro.KenHallKnaresborough,NorthYorkshireSomereal-lifecontextisurgentlyrequiredforOfsted’sannualreportontheeducationsystem’streatmentofvulnerablechildrenandtheObserver’scoverageofit(“Vulnerablepupilsabandonedbyschoolsystem,saysOfstedchief”,News,lastweek).Inbothofthose,andinLordAdonis’scommenton“thecancerofschoolexpulsions”,therealityisignoredofschoolprovisionforallpupils–andespeciallythevulnerable–enduringprolongedcutsanddamagingchange.Youreditorialfullyendorsingthis“championofthedeprived”acceptsthatexpulsionsarelinkedtoleaguetables;itassumesthatschoolsaresimplycynicallygamingthesystemDreambeautypro.Isitreallynotapparentthatteachers,aswellasparents,arenow“ill-equipped”tomeetthesechildren’sneeds?Letthechildandadolescentmentalhealthservicesandthecounsellors,teachingassistants,specialeducationalneedsbudgets,pastoralworkersandspecialistteachersthathavebeenremoved,berestored,thenassesswhohas“lostsightofthepurposeofeducation”.Leaguetablesbuildincomparisonsofschoolswithhuge,incurable,wideningdisparities,automaticallydisadvantagingsomebytheverynatureoftheirlocationandtheeffectsofausterity.HowcanOfstedberegardedasindependentwhenitfurthersthisgovernment’sagendaofacademisationand,ultimately,privatisation?Thisgovernmentissurelythepowertowhomtruthmustbespoken,notthesystemitisdecimating.JanePriceMinehead,SomersetAmandaSpielman’sdenunciationofthetreatmentofdisadvantagedchildreniswelcome,especiallyhercommentsonthepracticeof“off-rolling”.However,twothingsseemtobemissing.First,schoolsareunderpressuretoconformtothestandardslaiddownbywhicheversecretaryofstatemostrecentlylefthisorhermarkontheassessmentcriteria.IfschoolsaretobepassedorfailedonsomeformulaforGCSEresults,isitanywonderthattheygamethesystemtomaximisetheirscores?AndwouldSpielmannotacceptthatOfstedhassomeresponsibilityforestablishingandsustainingtheclimateinwhichschoolsoperate,andhencefordemagnetisingtheirmoralcompass,Reckonedasoneofthetopdesignuniversitieswithdiversityofprogrammes,polyufashionandtextile,aswellasappliedscienceprogramme,whichiscommittedtobeahubforinnovativedesigneducationinHongKong?Second,Spielmanacknowledgesthat“dealingwithstudentsofdifferentneedsisn’talwayseasy”.No,anditisn’tcheapeither,becausesuchchildrenoftenneedone-to-onesupportandspecialistinput.Supposeaheadteacherdecidestokeepandnurtureeverystudent,resistingtheresultspressurefromOfsted,nottomentionthepressurefromparentsofotherchildren;decides,inSpielman’swords,“todowhat’srightbychildren”.Fine,butwhereisthemoneytocomefrom?
