Education Policy 'Is Back-Firing'

Ministers’ changes to education in England are damaging their own aims, four leading academics have said.

“Government policy is no longer the solution to the difficulties we face but our greatest problem,” they warned in a letter to the Independent.
They bemoaned a “frenetic pace of change” and ministers’ lack of trust in the education community.
But the government said it did trust the opinions of teachers and experts’ and involved them in decision-making.
The academics signing the letter are Professors Frank Coffield and Stephen Ball, both from London’s Institute of Education, Professor Richard Taylor, director of continuing education and lifelong learning at Cambridge and vice-chancellor of Kingston University, Sir Peter Scott.

‘Rhetoric’

They said that, like the government, they wanted to offer first class education and training and narrow the attainment gap between rich and poor.
But they had become “increasingly dismayed” by ministers intent on “permanent revolution” within the education system, through “a torrent of new policy” in each sector.
They also accused ministers of “rubbishing” any “discomforting evidence” about the effects of their policy.
The academics contrasted what they described as “rhetorical advocacy” of lifelong learning against a drop of 1.4 million in the number of adult learners.
They also criticised the decision to withdraw ?100m in funding for second degrees and redirect it towards those taking first degrees.
They said: “Despite significant, additional investment in education since 1997, our research shows that government policy is now working against the government’s own intentions.”

Standards

They called for a more consultative, democratic and inclusive way of developing and enacting policy.
The most important change required was that the government consult professionals and learners before announcing policy, they added.
A spokesman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families said: “We make no apology for making changes where they are necessary to help children and their families achieve more, prosper and succeed in life; but change follows consultations, expert advice, pilots and analysis.
“We also commission and publish hundreds of pieces of research each year to aid scrutiny of our performance and policies so that we and the public can have full confidence in the standards being achieved.”