A Biased BBC reader observes;
“Sean Coughlan,BBC education correspondent, reporting here on the BBC web page today about a Twitter-linked session of the Education Select Committee: “… when Mr Gove was asked about a campaign against turning Downhills Primary School in north London into an academy, he accused the protesters of being linked to the Socialist Workers Party – and described them as the “enemies of promise”.
Mr Coughlan interposes his own opinion about this exchange. He writes: “But when #AskGove responded, it was in the old-fashioned language of right and left, haranguing the Haringey campaigners.”
On the BBC, Socialist Workers party argues; Mr Gove harangues; Gove acts like old-fashioned rightist when he argues back. SWP are just running a campaign.
Condemnation of Gove, but zero investigation by Mr Coughlan of the crux of this story, which any newsman should go after: is Mr Gove’s complaint that the discussion, and genuine parents’ views have been hi-jacked by the extreme left SWP, justifiable? “
Certainly the BBC’s account is not ‘justifiable’ in the careful use of descriptive terms that serve one party but are designed to taint another.
Sadly yet one more instance where it is so subtle, and in isolation minor and hence tricky to highlight, when the thousand cuts inflicted by the BBC’s minions’ reporting, daily, are tallied.
These words are used becuase they count, and the BBc should be held to account for how they are used, about whom and whn. And when spared those they approve of.
That report is very long and moves away from Downhills into the ‘politics’.
What about the school itself. You know, the education we are paying for and from which we expect that the children are having the best possible education.
The school itself has been inspected by OFSTED on four occasions since 2002.
The reports are all to be seen on the OFSTED website.
This is what the most recent (November 2011) has to say in its main findings.
“In accordance with section 13 (3) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than in all the circumstances it could be reasonably be expected to perform. The school is therefore given a notice to improve. Significant improvement is required in relation to attainment in English and mathematics.
Attainment has been consistently low in the school for many years and there is evidence of underachievement in the past. Standards in English and mathematics are well below average in Year 6 and pupils’ writing has been a particular weakness. Although there have been improvements since the previous inspection, for example in the quality of teaching, improvement is taking time to embed. The quality of teaching is satisfactory and this is leading to improvements in pupils’ learning and progress. However, there are inconsistencies in teaching. This means there is not enough good teaching to ensure that all pupils make the good progress they need to improve their attainment sufficiently. The academic guidance provided for pupils is variable. Pupils are not always given work that is appropriate to their level of understanding. Consequently, they can find their work either too easy or too hard. More-able pupils are especially affected by this. Not all teachers follow the school’s agreed policy…..”
Bugger the children. The hard left ideologues are in town.
The area is in difficulties, the parents are mainly immigrant and perhaps have difficulty in confronting these socialist parasites.
The politics here are crass.
Those children dserve better than to be condemned to a socialist wrecking campaign.
Did I get this insight into the school from the BBC?
Of course, not.
Instead we get this from the union bigot.
“After the committee session, Chris Keates, leader of the NASUWT teachers’ union, said Mr Gove’s comment “exemplifies the combination of arrogance and ignorance which drives the Coalition’s education policy.”
Keates clearly could not care less about the OFSTED report.
Disgrace to the teaching profession.
Education is a key battleground for the left. The control of the teachers and making sure they are thinking correctly is very important. That way you get to the next generation of children and can mould them as you wish.
They fear Gove and I hope their fear is justified.