No, This Is Not 'A Lack Of Money Problem'...

...it's a 'lack of discipline problem':

...pause to consider the words of the new head of Ofsted, Martyn Oliver. In January, he talked about taking on wrecked schools when he was leader of an academy trust, including one in which students stopped staff, saying: “This is a no-go corridor, it belongs to the children.”

I very much doubt those were the exact words used. Almost certainly some thuggish demand voiced in a fake Jamaican patois (no matter the skin colour might have been as pasty-white as mine) that should have been slapped down hard at the time, not whined about in later interviews.

It is hard not to read this as a loud indictment of the political neglect of children and education under Tory governance.

On the contrary, it's pretty easy not to, I read it as a loud indictment of parent's failure to bring up their children to be decent, respectful members of society, probably because those parents aren't that themselves. 

Whether it is routinely being told to eff off by 11-year-olds or breaking up fights, this isn’t a problem that can be chalked up to individual teachers’ poor classroom management. These incidents, ranging from spitting to throwing chairs, lay bare the impact of years of chronic underfunding of essential children’s services, compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ah, the pandemic, the 2024 version of 'the dog ate my homework'.  

How does this result in disruptive behaviour within classrooms?

How indeed, Lola? 

The absence of support from social or youth services exposes children to unsafe environments, at home and in their communities.

Yes, these children would be decent members of society if only there were youth clubs on their doorstep. It's a familar refrain. 

The continued refrain that a Labour government won’t “turn on the spending taps” may be meant to resonate with voters concerned about fiscal responsibility, but it rings alarm bells for those of us at the frontline of this crisis.

 Why? Surely you are smarter than to believe that campaign promises will be upheld?

The question facing our next government is whether to continue the cycle of neglect or embrace a different future for our children – one in which bromides about how we value them and their potential is backed up with money spent.

You could stop by seeing them as 'our children' and focussing on why parents are raising their children to behave like this. But that would mean looking in a mirror, wouldn't it?