Despite the government's crude mechanism for measuring primary children's achievement, the underlying message is that primary teachers have sustained and secured further improvements in pupil performance. This is a very real cause for celebration. The government is now, rightly, distancing itself from the targets it had previously plucked out of the air. |
It is pandering to the pushy middle classes at the expense of children in less advantaged circumstances. A period of calm would be more welcome in our schools than yet another period of change. |
Parents taking children out of school to go shopping or on holiday is very irresponsible and can have a destructive impact on their education. |
Sadly there is a small group of parents who do not respect education. |
Sadly, there is a small group of parents who do not respect education and they come not just from deprived circumstances but from among the better-off as well. This attitude seriously damages children's future prospects and leaves them vulnerable to the temptations and dangers of the streets. |
The government's ... obsession with choice ignores the fact that parents operate on a far from level playing field, |
The idea of allowing youngsters to stay in a school that is just withering on the vine is just terrible. |
There are dangers that social difficulties can arise when you mix 11-year-olds with 15-year-olds. For example, if a 15-year-old was sent down to work with 11-year-olds that could lead to a serious loss of self-esteem and would be seen by peers as a sign of failure. |
There is a view that the promotion of greater influence of faith groups in running our schools could be detrimental to community cohesion and social cohesion. |