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politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » Extraordinary. Gove was killed by Lynton Crosby’s private p

SystemSystem Posts: 11,693
edited July 2014 in General

politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » Extraordinary. Gove was killed by Lynton Crosby’s private polling of teachers

I understand Osborne opposed Gove move but dire opinion polling presented by Lynton Crosby of MG's standing with teachers forced change.

Read the full story here


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    TCPoliticalBettingTCPoliticalBetting Posts: 10,819
    edited July 2014
    First and my first first.
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    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,877
    Quite the dramatic move from teachers on polling - with a change that dramatic, even demoting Gove (sorry PM, but it was a demotion) seems like it can't have too much impact, the feeling is surely too intense.
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    HughHugh Posts: 955
    Good move but probably too late.

    Cameron better hope people give him one of his beloved "second chances" on education.
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    Bond_James_BondBond_James_Bond Posts: 1,939
    O/T

    Jeremy Kyle reportedly pepper sprayed by bouncer in Magaluf
    http://metro.co.uk/2014/07/15/itv-talk-show-host-jeremy-kyle-is-reportedly-pepper-sprayed-by-bouncer-in-magaluf-4799002/

    seems fair enough.
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    NemtynakhtNemtynakht Posts: 2,311
    I said as much on the previous thread. It was obvious that whilst the zeal of Gove was required to enact the education act, it has not been as useful since and has driven a wedge between the coalition and voters.
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    One of the biggest failures in the 2010GE campaign was the under use of polling data. Crosby seems to have finally got Osborne & Cameron to address facts rather than dreams.
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    Bond_James_BondBond_James_Bond Posts: 1,939
    So teachers have gone from 63% leftie to 73% leftie.
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    AnorakAnorak Posts: 6,621

    O/T

    Jeremy Kyle reportedly pepper sprayed by bouncer in Magaluf
    http://metro.co.uk/2014/07/15/itv-talk-show-host-jeremy-kyle-is-reportedly-pepper-sprayed-by-bouncer-in-magaluf-4799002/

    seems fair enough.

    Oh that has absolutely made my day. Tra, la, la, off to the pub I go!
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    MikeKMikeK Posts: 9,053
    On the thread theme; tragic and akin to self harming it true.

    Gove was a fair Education Minister but has now proved himself an abject politician. By bending over backwards to Cammo's whim, he has killed himself politically.
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    AnorakAnorak Posts: 6,621
    MikeK said:

    On the thread theme; tragic and akin to self harming it true.

    Gove was a fair Education Minister but has now proved himself an abject politician. By bending over backwards to Cammo's whim, he has killed himself politically.

    Reading between the lines of your posts, I think - not sure, mind you - that you're not Cameron's #1 fan.
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    MikeKMikeK Posts: 9,053
    Anorak said:

    MikeK said:

    On the thread theme; tragic and akin to self harming it true.

    Gove was a fair Education Minister but has now proved himself an abject politician. By bending over backwards to Cammo's whim, he has killed himself politically.

    Reading between the lines of your posts, I think - not sure, mind you - that you're not Cameron's #1 fan.
    Absolutely right in that @Anorak
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    SouthamObserverSouthamObserver Posts: 38,937
    Gove got captured by his own blob of vested interests and was unable to see outside of it. He made enemies of people who could have been his friends because the blob told him that they were bad. An entirely self-inflicted failure for a man whose intentions were/are undoubtedly good.
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    SocratesSocrates Posts: 10,322
    Most teachers seem to foam at the mouth when you mention Gove, but if you ask them to specify what particular issues they have with his policies, they just give you vague banalities that they can't back up. Then you get a minority of highly capable and reformist teachers who support the man strongly, but are shouted down so much, they don't bother to speak up.
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    Curse of the new thread!

    I see Nicky Morgan has climbed the greasy pole. She was a passionate supporter of Loughborough Fire Station as a Tory PPC, trying to halt the cutting of Loughborough's retained crew, citing safety concerns about not having enough crew for the largest town in Leicestershire, with a huge turnout area. Strangely enough, she's not bothered about Loughborough going to one pump, with just 4 bodies on it, a cut that will genuinely endanger both the public and firefighters now that she's in government.
    How times change, eh?
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    audreyanneaudreyanne Posts: 1,376
    The reactionaries who bemoan Gove's demotion represent the rump of the Nasty Party. Gove was loathed both inside and outside education. Whatever the fraction of ideas that were reasonable, they were swamped by his own obnoxious, vile and toxic branding.

    Gove was everything the Conservative Party should never, ever, be again in the future.
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    HughHugh Posts: 955
    Socrates said:

    Most teachers seem to foam at the mouth when you mention Gove, but if you ask them to specify what particular issues they have with his policies, they just give you vague banalities that they can't back up. Then you get a minority of highly capable and reformist teachers who support the man strongly, but are shouted down so much, they don't bother to speak up.

    Nice of you to speak on behalf of "most" teachers. Perhaps you have actually spoke to them, in your own head like?
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    DanBarkrDanBarkr Posts: 17
    I would question how much this would make a difference to the Con. outlook. The damage would have been done already, and I would suggest that the reason for the large Con. vote in 2010 is because of the disillusionment with the Labour party.
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    Richard_TyndallRichard_Tyndall Posts: 30,969
    If true then this really sums up all that is wrong with our education system. It is run for the benefit of the teachers not the children. If it is true then this is a huge mistake by Cameron.
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    FinancierFinancier Posts: 3,916
    Hugh said:

    Socrates said:

    Most teachers seem to foam at the mouth when you mention Gove, but if you ask them to specify what particular issues they have with his policies, they just give you vague banalities that they can't back up. Then you get a minority of highly capable and reformist teachers who support the man strongly, but are shouted down so much, they don't bother to speak up.

    Nice of you to speak on behalf of "most" teachers. Perhaps you have actually spoke to them, in your own head like?
    @Hugh

    Are you a teacher or associated with one?
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    Richard_TyndallRichard_Tyndall Posts: 30,969

    The reactionaries who bemoan Gove's demotion represent the rump of the Nasty Party. Gove was loathed both inside and outside education. Whatever the fraction of ideas that were reasonable, they were swamped by his own obnoxious, vile and toxic branding.

    Gove was everything the Conservative Party should never, ever, be again in the future.

    Clearly the lunatic left are happy tonight. No one who actually cares about education should be.
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    CarolaCarola Posts: 1,805
    I don't buy this. Gove was unpopular across the board going by polling. And I doubt Cameron (even) is dim enough to think that this will win teacher votes back. I think it's more about other conflicts, such as the one with May, and stuff in the press via Cummings etc.

    What it does show - as I've said all along - is that many teachers were desperate for change, and Gove could have taken them with him (me included). He's a poor politician.
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    Ishmael_XIshmael_X Posts: 3,664
    MikeK said:

    On the thread theme; tragic and akin to self harming it true.

    Gove was a fair Education Minister but has now proved himself an abject politician. By bending over backwards to Cammo's whim, he has killed himself politically.

    You do realise the pm has the power of patronage, yes? What course of action do you think was open to Gove other than to comply with Cameron's decision?

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    eekeek Posts: 25,007
    edited July 2014
    Ishmael_X said:

    MikeK said:

    On the thread theme; tragic and akin to self harming it true.

    Gove was a fair Education Minister but has now proved himself an abject politician. By bending over backwards to Cammo's whim, he has killed himself politically.

    You do realise the pm has the power of patronage, yes? What course of action do you think was open to Gove other than to comply with Cameron's decision?

    True but I rather like

    "@Channel4News: This government now looks more like modern Britain, says Michael Gove" Having to take any job offered it.

    — Chris Addison (@mrchrisaddison) July 15, 2014

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    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,783

    First and my first first.

    Congratulations!

    Cameron reads polls and wants to win the GE? Who knew?
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    Richard_NabaviRichard_Nabavi Posts: 30,820
    edited July 2014

    If true then this really sums up all that is wrong with our education system. It is run for the benefit of the teachers not the children. If it is true then this is a huge mistake by Cameron.

    Not necessarily a mistake. If it helps make the difference between a Conservative-led government which can continue Gove's excellent work, and a Labour-led government which will take us backwards, then it would be a good strategic move for the Conservative Party, but more importantly for the country.

    In any case there is no reason at this stage to assume that Nicky Morgan won't be a good Education Sec. It may well be that, as at Health, a period of consolidation is required to bed in the reforms. We'll have to see how she fares, but in the meantime the fact that Nick Gibb and Nick Boles are going to have key roles in the department doesn't suggest a cave-in to the vested interests.
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    NemtynakhtNemtynakht Posts: 2,311
    In my own experience Gove is not just loathed by a large number of teachers, but they are also very vocal about it, and I see both parents and relations who have picked up on this too. Gove appeared to like an argument too much, and in the end he isolated himself, as no one wanted to engage. Both he and the blob preferred to yell at each other and any reasonable person kept their head down and moved well away.
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    FinancierFinancier Posts: 3,916

    The reactionaries who bemoan Gove's demotion represent the rump of the Nasty Party. Gove was loathed both inside and outside education. Whatever the fraction of ideas that were reasonable, they were swamped by his own obnoxious, vile and toxic branding.

    Gove was everything the Conservative Party should never, ever, be again in the future.

    Clearly the lunatic left are happy tonight. No one who actually cares about education should be.
    Perhaps, in rugby parlance, Gove has done the hard yards, and now it is time for a more winning face to take the ball towards the try line. It is quite apparent from the vitriol spewing from some of the almost hate-filled posters that the quality of the education our children receive (often their one chance) is further from their minds and desires.
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    JackWJackW Posts: 14,787
    Unsure about this.

    Mrs T had some ministers who were about as popular as a Hamas convention in Stamford Hill but she still went on to win a further two general elections.

    All other things considered within the "It's the Economy Stupid" political theory, it's my experience that the voters also take to the three C's :

    Conviction .. Character .. Competence
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    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,783
    On topic - has there been an announcement of a roll back of any of Gove's plan?

    It looks like it will roll on, albeit in possibly a less abrasive manner...so the usual suspects are beating their breasts and rending their hair (if they have any) at another "Cameron failure/retreat/capitulation/u-turn" (delete as appropriate)...
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    BobaFettBobaFett Posts: 2,789
    JackW said:

    Unsure about this.

    Mrs T had some ministers who were about as popular as a Hamas convention in Stamford Hill but she still went on to win a further two general elections.

    All other things considered within the "It's the Economy Stupid" political theory, it's my experience that the voters also take to the three C's :

    Conviction .. Character .. Competence

    Cam is in trouble then - has none of the above.
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    MikeKMikeK Posts: 9,053
    Ishmael_X said:

    MikeK said:

    On the thread theme; tragic and akin to self harming it true.

    Gove was a fair Education Minister but has now proved himself an abject politician. By bending over backwards to Cammo's whim, he has killed himself politically.

    You do realise the pm has the power of patronage, yes? What course of action do you think was open to Gove other than to comply with Cameron's decision?

    He should have left his ministry with his head held high and refused the poisoned chalice of Chief Whip. He could then come back on his own terms, if as expected there is another hung parliament in 2015.
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    NemtynakhtNemtynakht Posts: 2,311
    Carola said:

    I don't buy this. Gove was unpopular across the board going by polling. And I doubt Cameron (even) is dim enough to think that this will win teacher votes back. I think it's more about other conflicts, such as the one with May, and stuff in the press via Cummings etc.

    What it does show - as I've said all along - is that many teachers were desperate for change, and Gove could have taken them with him (me included). He's a poor politician.

    Sometimes you win people back, sometimes you give them more of a reason not to vote against you, and this may mean that the vote gove out incentive is removed. This may help the tarred liberals as well.
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    SouthamObserverSouthamObserver Posts: 38,937

    The reactionaries who bemoan Gove's demotion represent the rump of the Nasty Party. Gove was loathed both inside and outside education. Whatever the fraction of ideas that were reasonable, they were swamped by his own obnoxious, vile and toxic branding.

    Gove was everything the Conservative Party should never, ever, be again in the future.

    Clearly the lunatic left are happy tonight. No one who actually cares about education should be.

    And there's Gove's problem in one - only he cared, only he had the right answers, anyone who dared to think he might be wrong about certain things was a member of the lunatic left. It's not a great management style when you need to bring people with you in order to succeed.

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    El_CapitanoEl_Capitano Posts: 3,870
    Carola said:

    I don't buy this. Gove was unpopular across the board going by polling. And I doubt Cameron (even) is dim enough to think that this will win teacher votes back.

    Politically it's interesting. I agree it won't win many teacher votes back. I can see an argument that Crosby is trying to detoxify the Conservatives in time for GE2015, and having Gove away from DfE helps that. Having him on the Today programme every week may not.

    Incidentally, although there are many on here who are ready to criticise Gove-sceptics as being on the side of "producers' interests", I would be interested to know how many of them, in turn, are actually parents of school-age children.
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    HughHugh Posts: 955
    Carola said:

    I don't buy this. Gove was unpopular across the board going by polling. And I doubt Cameron (even) is dim enough to think that this will win teacher votes back. I think it's more about other conflicts, such as the one with May, and stuff in the press via Cummings etc.

    What it does show - as I've said all along - is that many teachers were desperate for change, and Gove could have taken them with him (me included). He's a poor politician.

    Yep. He identified the right problems but wrong solutions. He deliberately picked fights and alienated people.

    If he wasn't such an arsehole who believed his own hype in the Rightwing press he wouldn't have failed so badly.
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    Richard_NabaviRichard_Nabavi Posts: 30,820
    MikeK said:

    He should have left his ministry with his head held high and refused the poisoned chalice of Chief Whip. He could then come back on his own terms, if as expected there is another hung parliament in 2015.

    Why wouldn't he be able to hold his head high anyway? I'd have thought he'd be a very likely Chancellor if we get a second Conservative-led term, with Osborne perhaps going to the Foreign Office as has been suggested.
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    JonathanJonathan Posts: 20,901

    MikeK said:

    He should have left his ministry with his head held high and refused the poisoned chalice of Chief Whip. He could then come back on his own terms, if as expected there is another hung parliament in 2015.

    Why wouldn't he be able to hold his head high anyway? I'd have thought he'd be a very likely Chancellor if we get a second Conservative-led term, with Osborne perhaps going to the Foreign Office as has been suggested.
    10/10 for spin tonight Richard. Wonderful stuff.
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    SouthamObserverSouthamObserver Posts: 38,937
    Carola said:

    I don't buy this. Gove was unpopular across the board going by polling. And I doubt Cameron (even) is dim enough to think that this will win teacher votes back. I think it's more about other conflicts, such as the one with May, and stuff in the press via Cummings etc.

    What it does show - as I've said all along - is that many teachers were desperate for change, and Gove could have taken them with him (me included). He's a poor politician.

    Bang on the money. Gove told teachers he would stop the micro-managing, cut the administration and let them get on with teaching. He didn't. Instead, he picked fights - urged on by the vested interests that surrounded him.

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    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,783
    MikeK said:

    Ishmael_X said:

    MikeK said:

    On the thread theme; tragic and akin to self harming it true.

    Gove was a fair Education Minister but has now proved himself an abject politician. By bending over backwards to Cammo's whim, he has killed himself politically.

    You do realise the pm has the power of patronage, yes? What course of action do you think was open to Gove other than to comply with Cameron's decision?

    He should have left his ministry with his head held high and refused the poisoned chalice of Chief Whip. He could then come back on his own terms, if as expected there is another hung parliament in 2015.
    Or.....it could be he thinks he should help them win in 2015?

    As with Thatcher, Gove seems to have a lot of people's wishes projected onto him.....

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    Richard_NabaviRichard_Nabavi Posts: 30,820
    edited July 2014
    Jonathan said:

    10/10 for spin tonight Richard. Wonderful stuff.

    It's not spin at all. It's more a betting tip, if the odds are good enough. I would expect the Chancellor in any post-2015 Cameron-led government, if Osborne were to move, would be one of Gove, Hammond, or possibly May.
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    audreyanneaudreyanne Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2014

    If true then this really sums up all that is wrong with our education system. It is run for the benefit of the teachers not the children. If it is true then this is a huge mistake by Cameron.

    The reactionaries who bemoan Gove's demotion represent the rump of the Nasty Party. Gove was loathed both inside and outside education. Whatever the fraction of ideas that were reasonable, they were swamped by his own obnoxious, vile and toxic branding.

    Gove was everything the Conservative Party should never, ever, be again in the future.

    Clearly the lunatic left are happy tonight. No one who actually cares about education should be.
    I am a full time teacher in a tough London state school. I'm also a Conservative. So that's a rare combination.

    Gove was an imbecile who certainly did NOT put the children first. He hasn't the first clue about learning styles or human nature. He pummelled a ludicrously outdated chalk and talk approach with reactionary politics driving an educational agenda. He had not got the first clue about how different children learn and thought everyone should slot into his Huxley-esque monochromatic and robotic methodology. He was, remarkably for someone so bright, a fool. He saw 'the teaching profession' as a hotbed of lefties, more examples of which you can see from a few posters below who have probably never set foot in a staffroom.

    Actually I know very, very, few left wing teachers. They tend to get out the classroom, usually because they're useless, and join the teaching unions which is probably why you get to hear about them. Most teachers are pretty centrist but passionately believe in education and how to get the best out of children, using all sorts of fantastic mixed teaching methods within and across lessons. That is precisely the opposite of what Michael Gove stood for I'm afraid.

    It's a happy day, but would be happier if the reactionary right (the Nasty Party Rump) put a collective sock in it, listen (two ears and one mouth for a reason) to others in the profession who do actually know what they're talking about, most of the time.

    Cameron has balls, and he also has tremendous political savvy. He got this spot on.
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    SouthamObserverSouthamObserver Posts: 38,937

    If true then this really sums up all that is wrong with our education system. It is run for the benefit of the teachers not the children. If it is true then this is a huge mistake by Cameron.

    The reactionaries who bemoan Gove's demotion represent the rump of the Nasty Party. Gove was loathed both inside and outside education. Whatever the fraction of ideas that were reasonable, they were swamped by his own obnoxious, vile and toxic branding.

    Gove was everything the Conservative Party should never, ever, be again in the future.

    Clearly the lunatic left are happy tonight. No one who actually cares about education should be.
    I am a full time teacher in a tough London state school. I'm also a Conservative. So that's a rare combination.

    Gove was an imbecile who certainly did NOT put the children first. He hasn't the first clue about learning styles or human nature. He pummelled a ludicrously outdated chalk and talk approach with reactionary politics driving an educational agenda. He saw 'the teaching profession' as a hotbed of lefties, more examples of which you can see from a few posters below who have probably never set foot in a staffroom.

    Actually I know very, very, few left wing teachers. They tend to get out the classroom, usually because they're useless, and join the unions which is probably why you get to hear about them. Most teachers are pretty centrist but passionately believe in education and how to get the best out of children. That is precisely the opposite of what Michael Gove stood for I'm afraid.

    It's a happy day, but would be happier if the reactionary right (the Nasty Party Rump) put a collective sock in it, listen (two ears and one mouth for a reason) and listen to others in the profession who do actually know what they're talking about, most of the time.

    Cameron has balls, and he also has tremendous political savvy. He got this spot on.

    What a fantastic post. I agree that Cameron has made the correct political decision and one that may ensure that meaningful reform of the education system is more likely.

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    Richard_TyndallRichard_Tyndall Posts: 30,969

    If true then this really sums up all that is wrong with our education system. It is run for the benefit of the teachers not the children. If it is true then this is a huge mistake by Cameron.

    The reactionaries who bemoan Gove's demotion represent the rump of the Nasty Party. Gove was loathed both inside and outside education. Whatever the fraction of ideas that were reasonable, they were swamped by his own obnoxious, vile and toxic branding.

    Gove was everything the Conservative Party should never, ever, be again in the future.

    Clearly the lunatic left are happy tonight. No one who actually cares about education should be.
    I am a full time teacher in a tough London state school. I'm also a Conservative. So that's a rare combination.

    Gove was an imbecile who certainly did NOT put the children first. He hasn't the first clue about learning styles or human nature. He pummelled a ludicrously outdated chalk and talk approach with reactionary politics driving an educational agenda. He saw 'the teaching profession' as a hotbed of lefties, more examples of which you can see from a few posters below who have probably never set foot in a staffroom.

    Actually I know very, very, few left wing teachers. They tend to get out the classroom, usually because they're useless, and join the unions which is probably why you get to hear about them. Most teachers are pretty centrist but passionately believe in education and how to get the best out of children. That is precisely the opposite of what Michael Gove stood for I'm afraid.

    It's a happy day, but would be happier if the reactionary right (the Nasty Party Rump) put a collective sock in it, listen (two ears and one mouth for a reason) and listen to others in the profession who do actually know what they're talking about, most of the time.

    Cameron has balls, and he also has tremendous political savvy. He got this spot on.
    Well I know dozens of teachers and every single one of them (bar one) is left wing. Only one of them voted Tory in 2010. Put simply I just don't believe you. Your claim is not backed up either by anecdotal evidence nor polling as shown in the thread header.

    What would make me happy would be if we had an education system that actually worked rather than the third rate rubbish we are currently lumbered with. And I lay most of the blame for that at the feet of teachers who seem to think the education system is there for them and not for the children.
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    JackWJackW Posts: 14,787
    BobaFett said:

    JackW said:

    Unsure about this.

    Mrs T had some ministers who were about as popular as a Hamas convention in Stamford Hill but she still went on to win a further two general elections.

    All other things considered within the "It's the Economy Stupid" political theory, it's my experience that the voters also take to the three C's :

    Conviction .. Character .. Competence

    Cam is in trouble then - has none of the above.
    If you say so ....

    But then of course as Ed has far worse ratings than Dave it just leaves me to consider that :

    Ed Miliband Will Never Be Prime Minister

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    hucks67hucks67 Posts: 758
    I think when people look back in ten years, Gove will be seen as incompetent. While he has concentrated on free schools and annoying teachers, he has not concentrated on making sure enough school places have been created. This is worry that from September that some kids won't have school places available to them.
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    MrJonesMrJones Posts: 3,523
    Gove should have resigned. He's going to get endless amounts of cr*p from everyone who sees this as a demotion and Cameron's rejection of the education changes i.e. 99% of people.

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    audreyanneaudreyanne Posts: 1,376
    MikeK said:

    Ishmael_X said:

    MikeK said:

    On the thread theme; tragic and akin to self harming it true.

    Gove was a fair Education Minister but has now proved himself an abject politician. By bending over backwards to Cammo's whim, he has killed himself politically.

    You do realise the pm has the power of patronage, yes? What course of action do you think was open to Gove other than to comply with Cameron's decision?

    He should have left his ministry with his head held high and refused the poisoned chalice of Chief Whip. He could then come back on his own terms, if as expected there is another hung parliament in 2015.
    Interesting this because you'd think an asshole like him (to quote someone's apt description below) would be ideally suited to the job of Chief Whip. The trouble is that he might well do the same to the backbenchers as he did to teachers: wind them up and see them as 'the enemy.' The best thing Gove could probably do is step out of politics altogether.
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    Richard_TyndallRichard_Tyndall Posts: 30,969

    The reactionaries who bemoan Gove's demotion represent the rump of the Nasty Party. Gove was loathed both inside and outside education. Whatever the fraction of ideas that were reasonable, they were swamped by his own obnoxious, vile and toxic branding.

    Gove was everything the Conservative Party should never, ever, be again in the future.

    Clearly the lunatic left are happy tonight. No one who actually cares about education should be.

    And there's Gove's problem in one - only he cared, only he had the right answers, anyone who dared to think he might be wrong about certain things was a member of the lunatic left. It's not a great management style when you need to bring people with you in order to succeed.

    Well we certainly know the teachers don't care - or very few of them anyway - or they would never have allowed the past few decades of collapsing standards. Once you get to the point where your organisation is fundamentally broken and those who are still working in it are complicit in its destruction then there really isn't much point trying to get them onside.
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    valleyboyvalleyboy Posts: 605
    Just a comment on Possible result of Preseli Pembs 2015, particularly now Crabbe has been elevated to Sec Of State. Short of a national 1997 type swing to Labour, I have felt for ages that Crabbe was pretty well nailed on to win. This promotion makes it even more likely, and I am speaking as a Labour member in Preseli. Usual caveats apply, but I will not be betting against a Tory win here.
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    TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633
    Pity narrow minded vested interests get to vote too.
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    Ishmael_XIshmael_X Posts: 3,664
    MikeK said:

    Ishmael_X said:

    MikeK said:

    On the thread theme; tragic and akin to self harming it true.

    Gove was a fair Education Minister but has now proved himself an abject politician. By bending over backwards to Cammo's whim, he has killed himself politically.

    You do realise the pm has the power of patronage, yes? What course of action do you think was open to Gove other than to comply with Cameron's decision?

    He should have left his ministry with his head held high and refused the poisoned chalice of Chief Whip. He could then come back on his own terms, if as expected there is another hung parliament in 2015.
    As Minister for Petulant Flouncing?

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    CarolaCarola Posts: 1,805

    The reactionaries who bemoan Gove's demotion represent the rump of the Nasty Party. Gove was loathed both inside and outside education. Whatever the fraction of ideas that were reasonable, they were swamped by his own obnoxious, vile and toxic branding.

    Gove was everything the Conservative Party should never, ever, be again in the future.

    Clearly the lunatic left are happy tonight. No one who actually cares about education should be.

    And there's Gove's problem in one - only he cared, only he had the right answers, anyone who dared to think he might be wrong about certain things was a member of the lunatic left. It's not a great management style when you need to bring people with you in order to succeed.

    Well we certainly know the teachers don't care - or very few of them anyway - or they would never have allowed the past few decades of collapsing standards. Once you get to the point where your organisation is fundamentally broken and those who are still working in it are complicit in its destruction then there really isn't much point trying to get them onside.
    Richard... I know I keep saying this but teachers have very little power in schools. The main problem is managers and their cack-handed response to league tables, Ofsted demands etc etc.
  • Options
    Richard_TyndallRichard_Tyndall Posts: 30,969

    If true then this really sums up all that is wrong with our education system. It is run for the benefit of the teachers not the children. If it is true then this is a huge mistake by Cameron.

    Not necessarily a mistake. If it helps make the difference between a Conservative-led government which can continue Gove's excellent work, and a Labour-led government which will take us backwards, then it would be a good strategic move for the Conservative Party, but more importantly for the country.

    In any case there is no reason at this stage to assume that Nicky Morgan won't be a good Education Sec. It may well be that, as at Health, a period of consolidation is required to bed in the reforms. We'll have to see how she fares, but in the meantime the fact that Nick Gibb and Nick Boles are going to have key roles in the department doesn't suggest a cave-in to the vested interests.
    I hope you are right Richard and, as I said on the previous thread, my concern is predicated upon an abandonment of Gove's plans and there is no indication at the moment that that is going to happen.

    My bigger concern is that this is no time for treading water. We need even more radical change to improve our parlous education system and I fear that if all Nicky Morgan is able to do is maintain what has already been done it will be no where near enough.
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    TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 114,524
    Sodding cheating cry baby Indians.

    Jimmy Anderson 'could face ban' after being charged with alleged push on Ravindra Jadeja at Trent Bridge

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-2693293/Jimmy-Anderson-accused-Level-3-offence-alleged-push-Ravindra-Jadeja.html
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    El_CapitanoEl_Capitano Posts: 3,870

    Well I know dozens of teachers and every single one of them (bar one) is left wing. Only one of them voted Tory in 2010. Put simply I just don't believe you. Your claim is not backed up either by anecdotal evidence nor polling as shown in the thread header.

    No, Mr Tyndall, the polling supports audreyanne, not you.

    Pre-GE2010, 33% of teachers supported the Conservatives, 32% Labour. It's right up there. Right at the top. In green. Look at it.

    And, repeat after me, the plural of anecdote is not data. Even if you do claim to know "dozens of teachers".
  • Options
    JackWJackW Posts: 14,787

    Sodding cheating cry baby Indians.

    Jimmy Anderson 'could face ban' after being charged with alleged push on Ravindra Jadeja at Trent Bridge

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-2693293/Jimmy-Anderson-accused-Level-3-offence-alleged-push-Ravindra-Jadeja.html

    Either way it's just not cricket.

  • Options
    Richard_TyndallRichard_Tyndall Posts: 30,969
    Carola said:

    The reactionaries who bemoan Gove's demotion represent the rump of the Nasty Party. Gove was loathed both inside and outside education. Whatever the fraction of ideas that were reasonable, they were swamped by his own obnoxious, vile and toxic branding.

    Gove was everything the Conservative Party should never, ever, be again in the future.

    Clearly the lunatic left are happy tonight. No one who actually cares about education should be.

    And there's Gove's problem in one - only he cared, only he had the right answers, anyone who dared to think he might be wrong about certain things was a member of the lunatic left. It's not a great management style when you need to bring people with you in order to succeed.

    Well we certainly know the teachers don't care - or very few of them anyway - or they would never have allowed the past few decades of collapsing standards. Once you get to the point where your organisation is fundamentally broken and those who are still working in it are complicit in its destruction then there really isn't much point trying to get them onside.
    Richard... I know I keep saying this but teachers have very little power in schools. The main problem is managers and their cack-handed response to league tables, Ofsted demands etc etc.
    And yet this whole thread is based upon a claim that it was teachers who were responsible for Gove going.
  • Options
    TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 114,524
    I'm assuming he's going to rue the day

    The new European Commission's president says no new states will be given EU membership for the next five years despite the SNP's claims a separate Scotland's membership would be fast-tracked.

    Alex Salmond’s claims an independent Scotland would start life in the EU have suffered a major blow after the European Commission’s new president said no new states would be admitted for the next five years.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/10968820/Juncker-deals-blow-to-Alex-Salmonds-EU-claims.html
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    Sean_FSean_F Posts: 35,855

    If true then this really sums up all that is wrong with our education system. It is run for the benefit of the teachers not the children. If it is true then this is a huge mistake by Cameron.

    The reactionaries who bemoan Gove's demotion represent the rump of the Nasty Party. Gove was loathed both inside and outside education. Whatever the fraction of ideas that were reasonable, they were swamped by his own obnoxious, vile and toxic branding.

    Gove was everything the Conservative Party should never, ever, be again in the future.

    Clearly the lunatic left are happy tonight. No one who actually cares about education should be.
    I am a full time teacher in a tough London state school. I'm also a Conservative. So that's a rare combination.

    Gove was an imbecile who certainly did NOT put the children first. He hasn't the first clue about learning styles or human nature. He pummelled a ludicrously outdated chalk and talk approach with reactionary politics driving an educational agenda. He had not got the first clue about how different children learn and thought everyone should slot into his Huxley-esque monochromatic and robotic methodology. He was, remarkably for someone so bright, a fool. He saw 'the teaching profession' as a hotbed of lefties, more examples of which you can see from a few posters below who have probably never set foot in a staffroom.

    Actually I know very, very, few left wing teachers. They tend to get out the classroom, usually because they're useless, and join the teaching unions which is probably why you get to hear about them. Most teachers are pretty centrist but passionately believe in education and how to get the best out of children, using all sorts of fantastic mixed teaching methods within and across lessons. That is precisely the opposite of what Michael Gove stood for I'm afraid.

    It's a happy day, but would be happier if the reactionary right (the Nasty Party Rump) put a collective sock in it, listen (two ears and one mouth for a reason) to others in the profession who do actually know what they're talking about, most of the time.

    Cameron has balls, and he also has tremendous political savvy. He got this spot on.
    Like him or not, I think that most members of your profession have overreacted wildly to anything that the man has done.

    I'm old enough to have seen about a dozen secretaries of state being vilified by teachers.
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    CarolaCarola Posts: 1,805

    If true then this really sums up all that is wrong with our education system. It is run for the benefit of the teachers not the children. If it is true then this is a huge mistake by Cameron.

    The reactionaries who bemoan Gove's demotion represent the rump of the Nasty Party. Gove was loathed both inside and outside education. Whatever the fraction of ideas that were reasonable, they were swamped by his own obnoxious, vile and toxic branding.

    Gove was everything the Conservative Party should never, ever, be again in the future.

    Clearly the lunatic left are happy tonight. No one who actually cares about education should be.
    I am a full time teacher in a tough London state school. I'm also a Conservative. So that's a rare combination.

    Gove was an imbecile who certainly did NOT put the children first. He hasn't the first clue about learning styles or human nature. He pummelled a ludicrously outdated chalk and talk approach with reactionary politics driving an educational agenda. He had not got the first clue about how different children learn and thought everyone should slot into his Huxley-esque monochromatic and robotic methodology. He was, remarkably for someone so bright, a fool. He saw 'the teaching profession' as a hotbed of lefties, more examples of which you can see from a few posters below who have probably never set foot in a staffroom.

    Actually I know very, very, few left wing teachers. They tend to get out the classroom, usually because they're useless, and join the teaching unions which is probably why you get to hear about them. Most teachers are pretty centrist but passionately believe in education and how to get the best out of children, using all sorts of fantastic mixed teaching methods within and across lessons. That is precisely the opposite of what Michael Gove stood for I'm afraid.

    It's a happy day, but would be happier if the reactionary right (the Nasty Party Rump) put a collective sock in it, listen (two ears and one mouth for a reason) to others in the profession who do actually know what they're talking about, most of the time.

    Cameron has balls, and he also has tremendous political savvy. He got this spot on.
    'Learning styles'/VAK, along with 'Brain Gym', has been completely debunked. It's neurob*ll*cks.

    One positive re Gove is his encouragement of decent research in education, and the fact that he has cultivated relationships with some in the profession who are pushing for this.
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    Sean_FSean_F Posts: 35,855
    FPT Socrates, I'm sure that recruiting petty criminals, in order to achieve diversity, is just the thing to restore public confidence in the Metropolitan Police.
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    SouthamObserverSouthamObserver Posts: 38,937

    The reactionaries who bemoan Gove's demotion represent the rump of the Nasty Party. Gove was loathed both inside and outside education. Whatever the fraction of ideas that were reasonable, they were swamped by his own obnoxious, vile and toxic branding.

    Gove was everything the Conservative Party should never, ever, be again in the future.

    Clearly the lunatic left are happy tonight. No one who actually cares about education should be.

    And there's Gove's problem in one - only he cared, only he had the right answers, anyone who dared to think he might be wrong about certain things was a member of the lunatic left. It's not a great management style when you need to bring people with you in order to succeed.

    Well we certainly know the teachers don't care - or very few of them anyway - or they would never have allowed the past few decades of collapsing standards. Once you get to the point where your organisation is fundamentally broken and those who are still working in it are complicit in its destruction then there really isn't much point trying to get them onside.

    If teachers did not care Richard they would not work the hours they do:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-27087942

    Teachers teach what they are told to teach and they do the admin they are told to do.

    Presumably you believe that the teachers who strike because they believe that education policy is wrong are doing the right thing.

  • Options
    Richard_TyndallRichard_Tyndall Posts: 30,969

    Well I know dozens of teachers and every single one of them (bar one) is left wing. Only one of them voted Tory in 2010. Put simply I just don't believe you. Your claim is not backed up either by anecdotal evidence nor polling as shown in the thread header.

    No, Mr Tyndall, the polling supports audreyanne, not you.

    Pre-GE2010, 33% of teachers supported the Conservatives, 32% Labour. It's right up there. Right at the top. In green. Look at it.

    And, repeat after me, the plural of anecdote is not data. Even if you do claim to know "dozens of teachers".
    Nope, clearly your powers of comprehension are somewhat lacking. What the tables show is that less than 40% of teachers supported right of centre parties. Over 60% supported parties which are generally considered to be left of centre.

    Repeat after me. El Capitano can't count.
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    CarolaCarola Posts: 1,805

    Carola said:

    The reactionaries who bemoan Gove's demotion represent the rump of the Nasty Party. Gove was loathed both inside and outside education. Whatever the fraction of ideas that were reasonable, they were swamped by his own obnoxious, vile and toxic branding.

    Gove was everything the Conservative Party should never, ever, be again in the future.

    Clearly the lunatic left are happy tonight. No one who actually cares about education should be.

    And there's Gove's problem in one - only he cared, only he had the right answers, anyone who dared to think he might be wrong about certain things was a member of the lunatic left. It's not a great management style when you need to bring people with you in order to succeed.

    Well we certainly know the teachers don't care - or very few of them anyway - or they would never have allowed the past few decades of collapsing standards. Once you get to the point where your organisation is fundamentally broken and those who are still working in it are complicit in its destruction then there really isn't much point trying to get them onside.
    Richard... I know I keep saying this but teachers have very little power in schools. The main problem is managers and their cack-handed response to league tables, Ofsted demands etc etc.
    And yet this whole thread is based upon a claim that it was teachers who were responsible for Gove going.
    Well my first comment on the thread was to say that I don't buy that claim.
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    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,076
    Congratulations Jeremy Wright MP on becoming Attorney General. He was chairman of Warwick and Leamington Tories when I was chair of the university branch and the local CF, a very pleasant and able guy and as a former criminal barrister a sensible choice
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,076
    Gove is probably paying the price for his son blurting out 'is this where will be staying when you are PM daddy' when Gove was staying with Cameron at Chequers. Also, a move to win a few teachers' votes after he has done the hard work of reform.

    Gove should not despair, after all House of Cards is based on the premise that the whips office leads to the highest office, after all it led Francis Urquhart to Downing Street and Frank Underwood to the White House
  • Options
    TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 114,524
    As a former public schoolboy I feel egregiously unqualified to talk about state schools, can someone explain what Michael Gove that made him as popular as the clap with teachers?

    Which specific policies was it?

    Or was it just a de haut en bas management style ?
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    TOPPINGTOPPING Posts: 41,370

    Carola said:

    I don't buy this. Gove was unpopular across the board going by polling. And I doubt Cameron (even) is dim enough to think that this will win teacher votes back. I think it's more about other conflicts, such as the one with May, and stuff in the press via Cummings etc.

    What it does show - as I've said all along - is that many teachers were desperate for change, and Gove could have taken them with him (me included). He's a poor politician.

    Bang on the money. Gove told teachers he would stop the micro-managing, cut the administration and let them get on with teaching. He didn't. Instead, he picked fights - urged on by the vested interests that surrounded him.

    I am always cautious when people mention "vested interests" analagous to the "military industrial complex" so unironically beloved by CiF commentators, but I digress.

    I appreciate the timeliness of the thread but it's been said many times before, today, and is far from extraordinary. Gove just alienated too many people. Rank and file teachers, good ordinary teachers, leftie teachers, rightie teachers, the NUT, all sorts. So he went and Cam did well to let him go.

    And may I add my congrats, SO, to you on your wedding anniversary. A great milestone.
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    El_CapitanoEl_Capitano Posts: 3,870

    What the tables show is that less than 40% of teachers supported right of centre parties. Over 60% supported parties which are generally considered to be left of centre.

    "Left of centre party supports Gove's reforms through parliament for five years" - hold the front page.
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    CyclefreeCyclefree Posts: 25,216

    Carola said:

    I don't buy this. Gove was unpopular across the board going by polling. And I doubt Cameron (even) is dim enough to think that this will win teacher votes back.

    Politically it's interesting. I agree it won't win many teacher votes back. I can see an argument that Crosby is trying to detoxify the Conservatives in time for GE2015, and having Gove away from DfE helps that. Having him on the Today programme every week may not.

    Incidentally, although there are many on here who are ready to criticise Gove-sceptics as being on the side of "producers' interests", I would be interested to know how many of them, in turn, are actually parents of school-age children.
    I don't feel passionately about Gove, though I do about education - you can see my posts from previous threads if interested. I am certainly a parent of school and university aged children, 3 of them.

    I liked the fact that Gove wanted high standards for all. There has been too often a culture of mediocrity and making excuses for failure.

    But I don't know enough about the details to say whether he was going the right way about things. On the whole, if you want people to change you have to change the people - usually by persuasion - and if that does not work by actually changing the people. It does seem as if the very people whom he needed on side weren't - and to a degree which made the next stage very difficult.

    But those who criticise his confrontational attitude - which could just as easily be described as someone challenging lazy assumptions - are being a bit silly. Sometimes confrontation / challenge is needed. Look at the praise May got for, rightly in my view, telling the Police Federation a few home truths.

    Teachers are not some special case who are beyond challenge or who should think themselves beyond challenge. No group is. No group should be.

    The concerns expressed by those wondering what Gove's departure mean may be the fear that that mindset will resurrect itself. "We're teachers, we're right, we've been hard done by, how dare you criticise us, we're trying our best for your children etc...." And as a parent I say: "Sorry: no-one gets a free pass. If you're good, great. But if you're rubbish - and my child is suffering, you need to be told and you need to do something about - and sharpish."

  • Options
    JackWJackW Posts: 14,787

    If true then this really sums up all that is wrong with our education system. It is run for the benefit of the teachers not the children. If it is true then this is a huge mistake by Cameron.

    Not necessarily a mistake. If it helps make the difference between a Conservative-led government which can continue Gove's excellent work, and a Labour-led government which will take us backwards, then it would be a good strategic move for the Conservative Party, but more importantly for the country.

    In any case there is no reason at this stage to assume that Nicky Morgan won't be a good Education Sec. It may well be that, as at Health, a period of consolidation is required to bed in the reforms. We'll have to see how she fares, but in the meantime the fact that Nick Gibb and Nick Boles are going to have key roles in the department doesn't suggest a cave-in to the vested interests.
    I hope you are right Richard and, as I said on the previous thread, my concern is predicated upon an abandonment of Gove's plans and there is no indication at the moment that that is going to happen.

    My bigger concern is that this is no time for treading water. We need even more radical change to improve our parlous education system and I fear that if all Nicky Morgan is able to do is maintain what has already been done it will be no where near enough.
    We need the full scale return of grammar schools .... but with a twist.

    Funding per pupil should be skewed heavily in favour of the remainder of secondary education - probably in the 60/40 range.

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    Richard_TyndallRichard_Tyndall Posts: 30,969

    The reactionaries who bemoan Gove's demotion represent the rump of the Nasty Party. Gove was loathed both inside and outside education. Whatever the fraction of ideas that were reasonable, they were swamped by his own obnoxious, vile and toxic branding.

    Gove was everything the Conservative Party should never, ever, be again in the future.

    Clearly the lunatic left are happy tonight. No one who actually cares about education should be.

    And there's Gove's problem in one - only he cared, only he had the right answers, anyone who dared to think he might be wrong about certain things was a member of the lunatic left. It's not a great management style when you need to bring people with you in order to succeed.

    Well we certainly know the teachers don't care - or very few of them anyway - or they would never have allowed the past few decades of collapsing standards. Once you get to the point where your organisation is fundamentally broken and those who are still working in it are complicit in its destruction then there really isn't much point trying to get them onside.

    If teachers did not care Richard they would not work the hours they do:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-27087942

    Teachers teach what they are told to teach and they do the admin they are told to do.

    Presumably you believe that the teachers who strike because they believe that education policy is wrong are doing the right thing.

    Depends on whether they think it is wrong for them or the children.
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    GIN1138GIN1138 Posts: 20,833
    #GoveGone
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    SquareRootSquareRoot Posts: 7,095
    Thank god someone is policing the Internet and looking at what citizens get up to..

    Hanging is too good for scum like this.
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2692804/Male-nurse-57-bought-axe-Homebase-went-Eurostar-terminal-meet-14-year-old-girl-planned-sex-kill-eat.html
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    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,076
    Interesting that over 200 MEPs voted against Juncker today, around a third of the total, and a far higher percentage than the 2 out of 26 leaders in the Council of Ministers who backed Dave
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-28299335
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    BobaFettBobaFett Posts: 2,789
    @El Capitano

    This parent of a young child is delighted to see the back of Gove. He believed that education was about filling a bucket. The wise among us know it is about lighting a fire.


    Sadly, I'm not sure replacing him with a demonstrable reactionary who seeks to prevent adults who love each other from marrying is great news either. Great sacking by Cam - absolute masterstroke. But seems a bonkers appointment.
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    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 75,941
    What on earth is "the blob" that people keep referring to in the last few (And this) threads :?
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    TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 40,215

    I'm assuming he's going to rue the day

    Good, old premature-ejaculating Tele.

    James Cook ‏@BBCJamesCook 16 mins
    Jean Claude Juncker's spokeswoman says he was not referring to Scotland when he talked about a five year pause in EU accession. #indyref
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    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,076
    Farage managed to share a joke with Juncker before hammering him along with Marine Le Pen and a Greek Communist was evicted from the Chamber after continuing to heckle
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2692899/Juncker-HECKLED-MEPs-European-Parliament-voted-Commission-president-hes-smiles-Farage.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490
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    Sean_FSean_F Posts: 35,855
    HYUFD said:

    Interesting that over 200 MEPs voted against Juncker today, around a third of the total, and a far higher percentage than the 2 out of 26 leaders in the Council of Ministers who backed Dave
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-28299335

    Of those who voted, 37% voted against. For the first time, the EU Parliament has an Opposition.
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    BobaFettBobaFett Posts: 2,789
    Pulpstar said:

    What on earth is "the blob" that people keep referring to in the last few (And this) threads :?

    Pulpstar said:

    What on earth is "the blob" that people keep referring to in the last few (And this) threads :?

    My original theory was that it was a derogatory term for me! It then became clear from the context that it wasn't. Now I have not the foggiest. Entirely without clue.

    Perhaps it is one of those fleeting PB mysteries sent by Gove to try us.
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    Fat_SteveFat_Steve Posts: 361
    Does anyone know how many teachers there are nationally ? And how many per constituency on average ?
    The map above suggests that there are constituencies where 10% of the population (or electorate?) are teachers - Presumably well-sourced, since Election-Data is a good blog, but I find that slightly staggering.
  • Options
    audreyanneaudreyanne Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2014
    Richard Tyndall wrote:

    'Well we certainly know the teachers don't care - or very few of them anyway - or they would never have allowed the past few decades of collapsing standards. Once you get to the point where your organisation is fundamentally broken and those who are still working in it are complicit in its destruction then there really isn't much point trying to get them onside.'

    Richard, you will hopefully read El Capitano's decapitation below of your post about how teachers voted in 2010. It's all there, as he (she?) points out but if you want to push anecdotes above fact there's not much that can be said in response, except perhaps you could do with a return to education.

    I will, however, respond about falling standards. What a load of bollocks. My sisters went through the comprehensive fiasco in the 1970's, and education has been through a torrid time for several decades. However, standards have not 'collapsed,' the system is not 'fundamentally broken,' and teachers have not been 'complicit in its destruction.' You really haven't a clue what you are talking about, have you? Come on, fess up man. When was the last time you sat through a day's teaching in a state school? No I thought not.

    There are some phenomenal teachers in the profession, with staggeringly good resources and real savvy about learning styles and what makes an outstanding lesson. The inspection regime for all its myriad faults has raised the bar out of sight from 15 or 20 years ago, producing its own headaches on grade inflation (cue 'dumbing down' argument): the better you teach, the more a handle the children get, the easier it becomes to pass the exams. That's another side-topic however.

    I have seen some superb teaching and teachers working under tough conditions. Don't get me wrong, not everything Gove said was wrong but the man was a buffoon for alienating an entire profession who actually would have been biddable.

    And my final comment comes from one of the senior Inspectors. He walked into the DfES recently and said it was hushed, noiseless, hallowed. The one thing you didn't hear, and which the Inspector was tempted to get piped into the building, was the noise of children.
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    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 75,941

    Thank god someone is policing the Internet and looking at what citizens get up to..

    Hanging is too good for scum like this.
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2692804/Male-nurse-57-bought-axe-Homebase-went-Eurostar-terminal-meet-14-year-old-girl-planned-sex-kill-eat.html

    Send him off to be tried by ISIS in Iraq - Crucifixion would probably be 'Just and fair'.
  • Options
    BobaFettBobaFett Posts: 2,789
    Cyclefree said:

    Carola said:

    I don't buy this. Gove was unpopular across the board going by polling. And I doubt Cameron (even) is dim enough to think that this will win teacher votes back.

    Politically it's interesting. I agree it won't win many teacher votes back. I can see an argument that Crosby is trying to detoxify the Conservatives in time for GE2015, and having Gove away from DfE helps that. Having him on the Today programme every week may not.

    Incidentally, although there are many on here who are ready to criticise Gove-sceptics as being on the side of "producers' interests", I would be interested to know how many of them, in turn, are actually parents of school-age children.
    I don't feel passionately about Gove, though I do about education - you can see my posts from previous threads if interested. I am certainly a parent of school and university aged children, 3 of them.

    I liked the fact that Gove wanted high standards for all. There has been too often a culture of mediocrity and making excuses for failure.

    But I don't know enough about the details to say whether he was going the right way about things. On the whole, if you want people to change you have to change the people - usually by persuasion - and if that does not work by actually changing the people. It does seem as if the very people whom he needed on side weren't - and to a degree which made the next stage very difficult.

    But those who criticise his confrontational attitude - which could just as easily be described as someone challenging lazy assumptions - are being a bit silly. Sometimes confrontation / challenge is needed. Look at the praise May got for, rightly in my view, telling the Police Federation a few home truths.

    Teachers are not some special case who are beyond challenge or who should think themselves beyond challenge. No group is. No group should be.

    The concerns expressed by those wondering what Gove's departure mean may be the fear that that mindset will resurrect itself. "We're teachers, we're right, we've been hard done by, how dare you criticise us, we're trying our best for your children etc...." And as a parent I say: "Sorry: no-one gets a free pass. If you're good, great. But if you're rubbish - and my child is suffering, you need to be told and you need to do something about - and sharpish."


    Gove's free schools were sometimes good for the tiny minority of children who went to one. Others were run by deranged religious nutters. Most children, however, go to neither - and instead see DFE funding diverted to Gove's pet projects.
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    SmarmeronSmarmeron Posts: 5,099
    @BobaFett
    The "blob" was Goves witty term for the teaching profession.
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    jayfdeejayfdee Posts: 618
    HYUFD said:

    Gove is probably paying the price for his son blurting out 'is this where will be staying when you are PM daddy' when Gove was staying with Cameron at Chequers. Also, a move to win a few teachers' votes after he has done the hard work of reform.

    Gove should not despair, after all House of Cards is based on the premise that the whips office leads to the highest office, after all it led Francis Urquhart to Downing Street and Frank Underwood to the White House

    Just rewatching "House of cards" extremely good,and not dated too much,well you might like to think that I would say that,but I could not possibly confirm.

  • Options
    welshowlwelshowl Posts: 4,460
    Fat_Steve said:

    Does anyone know how many teachers there are nationally ? And how many per constituency on average ?
    The map above suggests that there are constituencies where 10% of the population (or electorate?) are teachers - Presumably well-sourced, since Election-Data is a good blog, but I find that slightly staggering.

    I was wondering that. Why on earth has an area of NW Lancashire got between two and five times as many teachers as west Cumbria, or why is Caernarfon apparently besieged by teachers whereas a area near Rhyl appears relatively devoid? Fascinating stuff.

    Begs the question any other of these demographic maps? Firefighters? Doctors? Butchers, bakers, candlestick makers?
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    CarolaCarola Posts: 1,805
    Smarmeron said:

    @BobaFett
    The "blob" was Goves witty term for the teaching profession.

    I think the term was coined by a previous ed sec. Originally aimed at ed academics.
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    I am a full time teacher in a tough London state school. I'm also a Conservative. So that's a rare combination.

    Gove was an imbecile who certainly did NOT put the children first. He hasn't the first clue about learning styles or human nature. He pummelled a ludicrously outdated chalk and talk approach with reactionary politics driving an educational agenda. He had not got the first clue about how different children learn and thought everyone should slot into his Huxley-esque monochromatic and robotic methodology. He was, remarkably for someone so bright, a fool. He saw 'the teaching profession' as a hotbed of lefties, more examples of which you can see from a few posters below who have probably never set foot in a staffroom.

    Actually I know very, very, few left wing teachers. They tend to get out the classroom, usually because they're useless, and join the teaching unions which is probably why you get to hear about them. Most teachers are pretty centrist but passionately believe in education and how to get the best out of children, using all sorts of fantastic mixed teaching methods within and across lessons. That is precisely the opposite of what Michael Gove stood for I'm afraid.

    It's a happy day, but would be happier if the reactionary right (the Nasty Party Rump) put a collective sock in it, listen (two ears and one mouth for a reason) to others in the profession who do actually know what they're talking about, most of the time.

    Cameron has balls, and he also has tremendous political savvy. He got this spot on.

    Great post. Interesting too that teachers are so left-wing a plurality of them voted Conservative at the last General Election.
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    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,076
    SeanF Indeed, a clear 1/3 of the Parliament now anti Federalist. Ironically it was the Parliament's support for Juncker which was supposed to be the reason for the Council to endorse him, his 'mandate' clearly less than overwhelming. Not good for Dave's powers of persuasion therefore that he could not get even 10% of the Council of Ministers to support him.
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    CarolaCarola Posts: 1,805
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    Richard_TyndallRichard_Tyndall Posts: 30,969
    JackW said:

    If true then this really sums up all that is wrong with our education system. It is run for the benefit of the teachers not the children. If it is true then this is a huge mistake by Cameron.

    Not necessarily a mistake. If it helps make the difference between a Conservative-led government which can continue Gove's excellent work, and a Labour-led government which will take us backwards, then it would be a good strategic move for the Conservative Party, but more importantly for the country.

    In any case there is no reason at this stage to assume that Nicky Morgan won't be a good Education Sec. It may well be that, as at Health, a period of consolidation is required to bed in the reforms. We'll have to see how she fares, but in the meantime the fact that Nick Gibb and Nick Boles are going to have key roles in the department doesn't suggest a cave-in to the vested interests.
    I hope you are right Richard and, as I said on the previous thread, my concern is predicated upon an abandonment of Gove's plans and there is no indication at the moment that that is going to happen.

    My bigger concern is that this is no time for treading water. We need even more radical change to improve our parlous education system and I fear that if all Nicky Morgan is able to do is maintain what has already been done it will be no where near enough.
    We need the full scale return of grammar schools .... but with a twist.

    Funding per pupil should be skewed heavily in favour of the remainder of secondary education - probably in the 60/40 range.

    I think that is a good plan. Clearly those who do not succeed in getting into Grammar schools need more help and so funding should be balanced in their direction.

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    BobaFettBobaFett Posts: 2,789
    jayfdee said:

    HYUFD said:

    Gove is probably paying the price for his son blurting out 'is this where will be staying when you are PM daddy' when Gove was staying with Cameron at Chequers. Also, a move to win a few teachers' votes after he has done the hard work of reform.

    Gove should not despair, after all House of Cards is based on the premise that the whips office leads to the highest office, after all it led Francis Urquhart to Downing Street and Frank Underwood to the White House

    Just rewatching "House of cards" extremely good,and not dated too much,well you might like to think that I would say that,but I could not possibly confirm.

    Point of order:

    "You might very well think that, I couldn't possibly comment."

    I still use that all the time at work :)
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    BobaFettBobaFett Posts: 2,789
    Carola said:

    Smarmeron said:

    @BobaFett
    The "blob" was Goves witty term for the teaching profession.

    I think the term was coined by a previous ed sec. Originally aimed at ed academics.
    Charming!
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    TOPPINGTOPPING Posts: 41,370
    BobaFett said:

    jayfdee said:

    HYUFD said:

    Gove is probably paying the price for his son blurting out 'is this where will be staying when you are PM daddy' when Gove was staying with Cameron at Chequers. Also, a move to win a few teachers' votes after he has done the hard work of reform.

    Gove should not despair, after all House of Cards is based on the premise that the whips office leads to the highest office, after all it led Francis Urquhart to Downing Street and Frank Underwood to the White House

    Just rewatching "House of cards" extremely good,and not dated too much,well you might like to think that I would say that,but I could not possibly confirm.

    Point of order:

    "You might very well think that, I couldn't possibly comment."

    I still use that all the time at work :)
    Oh god.

    You don't quote the whole "Knights of Ni" scene do you?
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    BobaFettBobaFett Posts: 2,789
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    AndreaParma_82AndreaParma_82 Posts: 4,714
    Andrew Lansley retiring as MP too according to BBC

    Many nice selections coming up...
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    jayfdeejayfdee Posts: 618
    BobaFett said:

    jayfdee said:

    HYUFD said:

    Gove is probably paying the price for his son blurting out 'is this where will be staying when you are PM daddy' when Gove was staying with Cameron at Chequers. Also, a move to win a few teachers' votes after he has done the hard work of reform.

    Gove should not despair, after all House of Cards is based on the premise that the whips office leads to the highest office, after all it led Francis Urquhart to Downing Street and Frank Underwood to the White House

    Just rewatching "House of cards" extremely good,and not dated too much,well you might like to think that I would say that,but I could not possibly confirm.

    Point of order:

    "You might very well think that, I couldn't possibly comment."

    I still use that all the time at work :)
    I stand corrected,but,there might be a " but" in there.

This discussion has been closed.