Education, Education, Education…

Following on from the problems in Orpington last week, it seems even the government is losing patience with further education:

The government has banned the largest sponsor of academies from taking on new schools until it dramatically improve the ones it already runs, the Guardian has learned.

A welcome change to the usual tactic of shovelling even more money into the coffers regardless…

The United Learning Trust (ULT) was called into the office of the schools secretary, Ed Balls, last week and told it could not sponsor any more schools until it had driven up standards in the 17 it runs and the two due to launch next September.

It follows the spectacular failure of ULT's Sheffield academies, which have been plagued with behavioural problems, have struggled to improve results and were judged inadequate by Ofsted inspectors.

And who do the teachers blame for this state of affairs, I wonder?

Mary Bousted, the general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said: "The idea that a private provider will automatically solve deep-rooted generational problems in a school serving a poor area is simply untrue."

Ah, yes. Capitalism. And poverty.

‘Twas ever thus…