Author Archives: Ian RIdge

Why things need to change in education

By Ian RIdge | Thu 11th May 2017 - 9:17 am

At no other time during a 10 year teaching career has the horizon appeared so dark and bleak over the educational landscape. Retention is low and recruitment equally as poor within the sector, begging the question “Why is it so hard to find teachers?” Even now as I type, I find myself questioning if this is what I want for my future.

The truth is that the profession is built on people with a passion for their career, people who believe in the importance and the worth of educating and guiding future generations. And it is the good will and convictions of their beliefs that has held it together thus far, but with ever increasing frequency more and more have had this good will stretched to breaking point.

Teachers have become the puppets of a system that helps the few at the expense of the many. A child’s education should not be determined by how rich they are or their faith, but yet this is the system we find ourselves in.

With the Conservatives in government we have suffered through an educational leader, Michael Gove, who openly decried experts, who had a complete lack of experience or expertise in an educational environment. Though he has since moved on, each passing Education Secretary has had equally little experience or desire to listen to experts. Even now Mrs May plans to force Grammar Schools into the system without and evidence that they work, at the expense of schools that are already operating.