Category: Politics

Fit for purpose? If that purpose is to create stress and encourage teachers to leave the profession – then yes.

Any former teacher could walk into a school and wander around visiting the library, the lunch hall and past classrooms to get a good impression of the quality of the education being offered. The scoring of lessons is pointless – I was told I had to follow a set formulae for the lesson – those who followed it to the letter scored highest, regardless of the participation of students. Fortunately all the OFSTED Inspectors who visited me were happy. I had a tutor group where some unsavory students decided to make the newletter handed out into paper airplanes (bastards) whilst I was being observedm but the inspector looked me out at the end of the day to congatulate me on my work as a tutor.

Results from our ridiculous testing system will reveal problems areas, as would the SMT if the result was a positive initiative of suggests for improvement. Education and teaching is not a factory production line where e.g. foodstuffs need 100% compliance. teachers need to have different styles and personalities – students should have likes and dislikes – it is part of the learning situation, for life in the big wide world. Most jobs and other situations require us to cope with a wide range of situatios and personalities. Most M.P.s seem to have a large number of off days. Teachers can produce wonderful lesson plans that fall apart rapidly due to the changing circumstances of their clientele.

So back to OFSTED. They come in and judge careers on a 30 minute or longer sample chosen at random. Questionnaires are sent to parents (guess the type of parent who responds) rather than inviting some in, who would then need to substantiate their criticisms or compliments with some evidence. OFSTED shoukd be seen as a positive organisation that can be called in to help and advise when there is a problem. Why waste tax payers money visiting schools that are doing nicely (parents know which ones these are) – better to put the money and resources into helping those in need. Oh fuck – is that too WOKE?

At £5000 an our Johnsons lawyer could have come up with some better excuses. To be fair to Lord Pinnock Johnson was doing OK when he started off with the script. Unfortunately he had to actually answer the questions (unlike PMQT). His credibility is now destroyed. To make it worse for him the rebellion he hoped to ignite became a whimper with just 22 tories viting against the Government on the Stormont break. Further attempts to implicate Sunak during the committee hearing also seemed to come to nothing.

Sunak also manahed to smeak out his redacted tax pyments for the last 3 years (£1million paid). Johnsons best bet looks like being asked to host a GBNews programme with other losers like Sleaze-Dogg and Farage. The ERG will no doubt have a few more rants and concentrate on “Culture Wars”. Is Sunak now brave enough to see them off?

USA annual human rights assessment said Rwanda was operating dangerous prison conditions, arbitary detention, restrictions on free speech and impronment of journalists. Braverman refers to every criticism as left wing wokes, or similar.

With the ERG joining the DUP in opposing the “Windsor Framework” does this mean a split in the tories. The Reform Party is recruiting ex-tory MP’s like Widecombe and will find support on GBNews. Then we have the Johnson committee appearance tomorrow, where his supporters will be claiming bias from a committee with 4/7 tories – and also claiming that he did mislead Parliament but this is not proven (surely the weakest of defences?). Add in the report on the MetPolice and this seems to be another bad week for the government. Braverman’s visit to Rwanda with selected right wing press does not appear to have played out well either. Finally the IPCC has reported on the enormity of the climate crisis we face – with little support from governments.

Is itbinevitable that the police, having to deal with criminals and victims much of the time, are to the right politically? Harsher sentences and bigger fines would appeal to them. However, if this is so, society needds to do more to create a balance. And yes, that may mean mire “WOKE” courses for them.

It is clear that misogeny, racism, homophobia, and disregard for large sections of society have become ingrained in the Met.Police and probably elsewhere. 100 serving, not suspended police officers are being investigated for domestic violence.

Correcting this will take money – Funding has dropped 18% (£700mill) in last 10 years, whilst outsourcing has doubled.

NHS doctors offered £5000 to move to private hospitals. Was poor pay deal planned to encourage this further demise in the NHS? Govt. incompetent and corrupt.,

A negiotiated settlement is agreed (although the funding remains opaque. Other disputes rumble on and some are just starting. Clueless.

Tax allowances remain frozen so we will all pay more tax and living standards will continue to fall. And the Chancellor gives the top 1% a pensions boost with the excuse that it will keep doctors in the NHS – so why is ot open to. all. He did a seperate one for Judges? Someone with a £2 million pension pot gets a £250000 tax cut. Just what they need!

First of all – why bother. Just about everything was leaked in advance anyway! We love in the 21st century where the markets and business operate 24/7/365 – yet it is seen as appropriate for the British Government to issue a budget every spring (apart from the Autumn one which they really fucked up!)

A strange one. Why give people with a £2 million pension pot a £250000 tax cut? Will people really go back to work/ stay on for a few extra quid in this bracket? It obviously does not affect the working person 11p a pint less for beer will not encourage people to return to the pub – that ship has sailed and pubs will continue to shut. The cut in petrol tax is extended – but who will notice that it has not gone up? 30 hours of free childcare for those who can find anywhere able to take their children and pay the extra cost that most charge (and certainly will for 1-3 year olds??!!??. Defence spending up is expected and possibly necessary but procuremnent procedures need to be sorted. The investment zone stuff still needs clarification (talk of 12 new “Canary Wharfs” is obviously bullshite).

So he has pleased the top 1% and will rely on the Mail and Sun and Express and Telegraph to con as many people as possible that he has helped them.

What was more interesting was what he did not say! Nothing about the green economy apart from nuclear; nothing about public services. No outlining of why basic tax payers will have to pay £500 more a year. Nothing about infrastructure.

Anyway I suppose it is unsurprising that the budget was dull. Living standards for most continue to fall faster than ever since records began and given the paucity of talent in their ranks what could we expect.

However I am perturbed by the fact that there seems to be a consensus that raising living standards for the poorest is seen to be counter growth in the economy? Surely the poorest spend money at home and raise the economy more than those who squirrel it away in off shore tax havens. I suppose it is an us and them scenario?