Today teaching unions and headteachers across England and Wales branded school league tables 'a nonsense'. I couldn't agree more. One of the most destructive aspects of Michael Gove's tenure at the department of education was the idea of "toughening education standards" and the promotion of certain subjects above others. It's all vere well making exams harder and prioritising academic subjects if you are already coping with the system but the truth is many pupils struggle with more academic subjects and many jobs do not require them. The new league table system demears vocational subjects, ignores informal education and incentives schools to leave those already struggling behind in order to concentrate on those of the cusp of gaining certain qualifications.
Thankfully we haven't seen this attitude to the same extent from the Scottish Government but there are signs this might be changing. Ex education secretary Mike Russell branded some college courses nothing more than "hobby courses", in the college 'modernisation programme' (translate as centralisation and brutal cuts) many courses simply disappeared, informal education faces a highly uncertain future with many local authorities facing massive budget cuts and the Scottish Government has started to charge for exam appeals (helping those already coping with the system and unfairly advantaging private and rich state schools).
Instead of "toughening' education we need a fundamental change of attitude. The current system fails too many people, particularly the less academically able and those on low incomes. Informal education and youth work deserve far greater recognition and arbitrary tables should be shown the door. We've seen some positive moves with curriculum for excellence and the pupil premium down south but it simply isn't enough. Less talk of 'dumbing down' and more talk of inclusive education.
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