Prime Minister Policy Review

19 March 2007

Commenting on the Prime Minister’s policy review announced today, Monday 19 March, Steve Sinnott, NUT General Secretary, said:

“I regret that the Prime Minister’s vision for education is skewed towards the fantasy world of eBay and Amazon style league tables.

“All the evidence is that parents overwhelmingly support their children’s school. They will resent the Prime Minister’s encouragement of the public to make ill-informed comments about their schools just as much as teachers will. League tables using such ‘satisfaction’ ratings enables one discontented parent to dominate and distort public perception of a school.

“Such on-line bullying of schools is as reprehensible as on-line bullying of pupils or teachers.

“He should jettison the academies programme which eats up millions of taxpayers’ money and use the funds to get on with the job of providing real additional support for those youngsters who need it most through personalised learning.

“His addiction to academy status indirectly denigrates the vast majority of teachers who work in successful community schools.”