The Big Dumb Society

David Cameron’s Big Idea conquered up in something of a hurry before the last election is a somewhat nebulous concept called “The Big Society.” Now as far as can be told this is in line with the Tory led Coalitions attack on the State and those who depend on it. Whereas Margaret Thatcher infamously said there is no such thing as Society, her ideological love child David Cameron” has used his PR skills to rebadge this as “The Big Society.” New name, same difference. Under the guise of volunteerism and greater private sector involvement the attack on Society has begun with vigour. So the Armed Forces are being ritually disembowelled on parade grounds around the world. The Flagship of the Royal Navy Carrier Ark Royal and the entire Harrier Jet Force are being scrapped, £4 Bn of Nimrod Spy Planes (ordered by Conservative, Michael Portillo when they were in last time) will never fly and are being cut up. University fees have been tripled and the privatisation of Education has begun with wholesale approval of “Independent Schools.” As for the NHS which the ConDem Coalition said was safe its budget is being drastically cut in real terms whilst being subject to wholly unproven and untested changes which were never in ANY Election Manifesto.



And in a continuing attack on communities and learning, libraries which account for less than 5% of Local Authority budgets are being closed wholesale. Education Secretary Michael Gove attempted to say his ‘reforms’ in education would favour poorer working class families, but now watches working class kids have their local library closed without a squeak of protest. There is little more sickening than watching well heeled public school and Oxbridge graduates like Cameron and Clegg, who had endless access to books and computers, telling workers that it is necessary to close libraries, while bankers and businessmen give themselves tax free bonuses after precipitating the crisis we are in.




Marsh's Library Dublin - A public library since 1701

Protesters have held "read-ins" and storytelling sessions at dozens of libraries across the UK to campaign against planned branch closures. At one library in south London the event has turned into an all-night sit-in involving about 35 protesters. Authors Philip Pullman and Mark Haddon were among those who took part in events elsewhere. Some councils have said keeping libraries open would put services for vulnerable and elderly people at risk. More than 450 libraries and mobile services across the country are currently threatened with closure.



New Cross Library

At New Cross Library, in south-east London, protesters taking part in an earlier "read-in" resolved to occupy the library overnight. Three security guards have been brought in to stay in the library with the group. Protester James Holland, of Save New Cross Library, told the BBC people had brought meals for the protesters, who were "sitting around playing Monopoly and Connect 4 and doing plenty of reading." I think with this occupation we are going to take the libraries campaign - and the anti-cuts campaign in general - to a whole new level. We are just not going to put up with these cuts," he said.

Other events during Saturday included a rally outside Bolton's central library and a flashmob book reading at Cambridge Central Library. Musician Billy Bragg sang and delivered a speech in Dorset, where library users attempted to take out the maximum number of books to empty shelves.


New Cross Library Occupation

Comic writer Gervase Phinn sent a statement to Bawtry library in South Yorkshire, describing books as "the architecture of a civilised society". He added: "Reading is the very protein of growth in learning. We must preserve our libraries. Have they thought through the impact of their messianic message about literature on the most vulnerable in our society?”

His Dark Materials author Philip Pullman has been particularly vocal over proposals to close 20 of Oxfordshire County Council's 43 libraries. He said the impact would not be easily measured. He said: "It's a kind of inward loss, a darkening of things, a narrowing of horizons that will gradually make us a less informed, less intelligent, less aware, less useful, less imaginative, less kindly people than we might have been."


Great Smith Street Library - Closed as it was too good for the common people

We have seen libraries being easy targets before. I remember when I was first living in London going to the wonderful Library in Great Smith St. Westminster, just beside the Department for Education and nearest public library to Parliament. Part of a complex which included public baths designed to improve the lot of working people it was a “proper” library with a cavernous and comfortable reading room. The Conservative Council sold it off, replaced it with a pokey (and now little used) library shop in its own offices in Victoria and it is now The Cinnamon Club, an upmarket restaurant of the type beloved by MP’s and Bureaucrats spending somebody else’s money.






My second home when I was at school - Drumcondra Library, Dublin

In my home town of Dublin our oldest public library, Marsh’s, which opened in 1701 is still going strong including the “cages” where readers of rare books were locked in! After school I used to cycle down to Drumcondra Library where the world awaited and real human librarians could always point a young student in the right direction. Built by the City Council to a distinctive design I was delighted to see on a recent trip home it has been refurbished and modernised. Libraries are centres of adult learning, of computer access for those who can't afford their own, of vital services and support in areas of severe deprivation.

Isaac Asimov summed it up;

"My real education, the superstructure, the details, the true architecture, I got out of the public library. For an impoverished child whose family could not afford to buy books, the library was the open door to wonder and achievement, and I can never be sufficiently grateful that I had the wit to charge through that door and make the most of it. Now, when I read constantly about the way in which library funds are being cut and cut, I can only think that the door is closing and that society has found one more way to destroy itself."

How dare the ConDems suggest that they are creating a "Big Society?" It's a complete con for public services like libraries which are not there for “profit”but for quality. Libraries are at the very heart of communities - lifelines for so many people. Asimov would turn in his grave if he knew what was happening. There is a vast list of writers who have educated themselves through using public libraries. Libraries offer so much to people- the best things in life are free- and we should preserve our marvellous heritage. British public libraries are admired worldwide, indeed The Brirish library describes itself as "The World's Library." So, if it ain't broke, why fix it?

Examine the Examiner – Part 2

Dr. Ken Boston

Followers of the Celtic Sage will not be surprised that as he predicted last July, Ken Boston, head of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, has stepped down ahead of a report into this summer's test chaos. The only question is; why did it take so long for him to go when no doubt he is using his free business class flights to Australia, has no doubt lined up another lucrative position over the past 5 months and, heavens forbid, has negotiated a payoff for failure from the British Taxpayer who he has amply mugged already.

For, as I noted last July, Dr. Ken Boston was on an extraordinary package. He had the use of a £1 million Chelsea flat as part of his pay and perks package and was on a £328,000-a year deal as it emerged that half a million children could be forced to re-sit key tests.

Dr Boston is paid more than the Governor of the Bank of England in salary, which jumped 15 per cent from last year, and perks which include the flat and six business-class flights a year back to his home country of Australia. The flights, which typically cost between £3,700 and £7,700, can be claimed by either Dr Boston, his wife Yvonne or daughter Nathalie.

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/07/examine-examiner.html

Today (13/12/2008) the head of the exams watchdog in England has resigned over the SATS test fiasco. Dr Ken Boston, head of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, has stepped down ahead of what is expected to be a highly critical report into this summer's test chaos. Hundreds of thousands of pupils had delayed test results - and this year's league tables have been postponed. Dr Boston said his resignation follows the "delivery failure" for this year's tests. "I have always believed in public bodies and public officials taking responsibility when things go wrong," said Dr Boston, who has held the post since 2002.

On Tuesday, Lord Sutherland is due to publish the findings of his inquiry into what caused the delays and confusion with the tests taken by 11 and 14 year olds. The exam chief is the latest casualty of the administrative failures that affected primary and secondary school tests. ETS Europe, the private outsourcing company hired to administer the tests has seen its contract terminated. Half of the tests themselves are being scrapped - with the Children's Secretary Ed Balls having announced in October that there will be no more compulsory SATS tests for 14 year olds. If Lord Sutherland produces a damning report into what the government calls "severe problems" with the tests, then it could raise the prospect of further heads rolling.

The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and its testing arm, the National Assessment Agency, were responsible for hiring the US-owned contractor. Head teachers, teachers and markers had been warning of problems with the organisation of this year's test from the spring.

In May, MPs in the House of Commons had said the tests had become a "shambles" - long before the scheduled results date in July. Following the missed deadlines, Dr Boston appeared before a committee of MPs in July and assured them that all the tests taken by 11 year olds had been marked. However a photograph sent soon after to the BBC News website showed boxes of unmarked test papers still lying uncollected in a Lancashire primary school - prompting accusations from opposition parties that the test authorities had lost control.


Six of the many boxes of unmarked SATS exams after Ken Boston assured MPs tha "100% of tests have been marked"

Australian-born Dr Boston had faced intense pressure in the wake of the test problems. But his decision to quit ahead of the inquiry report has been regretted by teachers' leaders.

The Education Minister has shown himself as unrelenting in following the discreditable “Sun” Newspaper in hounding out the Head of Haringey Social Services (Who his own QA agency OFSTED gave top marks to only a year ago) without notice or compensation and replacing her with somebody on twice the salary. But why has he let Ken Boston continue on his lucrative package and leave at a time of his own choosing despite the damming evidence of failure and the body blow occasioned to the English education system? Is he only a “Hard Man” when running after Rupert Murdoch’s tabloids and their Lynch Law campaigns? When we have the details of Ken Boston’s leaving package we will also have the answer to whether this Balls really has Cojhones!

Examine the Examiner.

The London Evening Standard reports that the man at the centre of the SATS marking fiasco has the use of a £1 million Chelsea flat as part of his pay and perks package, in a report today. Ken Boston, 65, came under increasing pressure to justify his £328,000-ayear deal as it emerged that half a million children could be forced to re-sit key tests.

Dr Boston is paid more than the Governor of the Bank of England in his salary package, which jumped 15 per cent from last year, and perks which include the flat and six business-class flights a year back to his home country of Australia. The flights, which typically cost between £3,700 and £7,700, can be claimed by either Dr Boston, his wife Yvonne or daughter Nathalie.

Not a whinging Pom!

He is chief executive of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority which has come in for a hail of criticism over the late delivery of the results of tests taken by 11- and 14-year-olds across England, as well as alleged poor marking standards. The company's five-year contract is worth £165 million. As the marking crisis deepened, with at least 175,000 children still waiting for results, Dr Boston faced growing pressure over his decision to hire US-based firm ETS Europe to run the tests this year.

Government sources have questioned whether he can survive the furore. He has been ordered to send a copy of his contract of employment to MPs on the Commons schools select committee which is investigating the crisis. Half a million children could be forced to take English and maths tests again next term. Secondary school teachers are expected to make new arrivals take a series of fresh tests because they have no confidence in the accuracy of the SATS.

Not a patch on my Aussie Pad!

Now it would be wrong of anybody to begrudge Ken Boston his wonderful remuneration package and perhaps we'll soon find out whether it is with him personally or with an offshore company and whether Dr. Boston is one of that curious non taxpaying race from a different planet, the Non-Doms? There is obviously no need for concern by Gordon Brown here, or even the Deputy Chancellor Alistair Darling, for obviously, unlike greedy teaching assistants and cleaners lording it up on their 2.5% wage increase, Dr. Boston's salary does not contribute to inflation? And I’ve no doubt that the Chief Examiner’s tax affairs will stand scrutiny and he contributes fully on his generous salary and extensive tax payer funded Benefits in Kind to Her Majesty’s Revenue as would any other PAYE employee, such as his cleaning lady. I cannot imagine it would be otherwise as I know HMRC are scrupulous in enforcing the IR35 provisions to ensure individual’s don’t use contrivances to avoid paying their fair share of tax and National Insurance.

No, the only nagging doubt I have is this, was it not possible to find ONE other person with Ken Boston's wonderfully proven talents within the European Economic Area as required under the quaint and arcane procedures of British Immigration law? I'm embarrassed to be expressing these doubts for of course these laws were never expected to apply to good chaps with the right skin colour from the Dominions? I’m sure all that immigration stuff is in order and we will be spared the appalling vista of a government which was employing illegal aliens as security guards in the Home Office having to prosecute itself for breaching its own draconian immigration laws. Let’s face it, applying the law equally is only meant to be for the “little people” not for “one of their own.” No, put these thoughts out of your mind I’m sure all is above board!

As for Doctor Ken, Gd on ya Mate in getting yourself one Bonzer Deal! Keep stuffing it Mate to those Whinging Poms!!

NUTS to You!

Over the Easter Holiday in the U.K. we have been unfortunate to once again witness the annual Whinge Fests known as the teachers’ conferences. Each year at this time the impressionable young people of Britain are exposed to an appalling display of exhibitionistic juvenilia at the conferences of the teaching unions who cannot agree on anything amongst them selves - they are the National Union of Teachers, NASWUT, ATL, NACG, PAT, NAHT, SHA – you get the drift; there are lots of them and they are fiercely sectarian and their party trick each year consists of crying wolf, proclaiming a pox upon any change to the status quo and generally passing a plethora of ridiculous resolutions (“International Affairs” is always the most ludicrous and entertaining area) of the type which would bring any properly organised Youth Assembly into disrepute.

Of these the most juvenile refugee camp for the sectarian lefties who can no longer (to the eternal credit of Tony Blair) find an outlet at the Labour Party Conference for their shrill screeching are the aptly acronymic NUTS – National Union of Teachers. Consider first their comic quality as epitomised by their previous General Secretary, Doug McEvoy, who once described a Government memo pointing out the danger of discussing policy with NUTS in his usual understated bluster as "a disgrace ... a sinister lack of tolerance and a rejection of democracy at the heart of government". When this Great Democrat decided to step down from his well upholstered position after doing the full 15 years allowed under NUTS constitution only 21.7% of the NUTS 240,681 members voted and 11.3% elected his successor, Steve Sinnott in 2004. There were 52,310 votes cast in the election and under the single transferable vote system, Mr Sinnott beat Ian Murch in the final round by 27,287 to 22,134. Problematic indeed when NUT members stand in front of a Citizenship Class and discuss Gordon Brown’s beloved “British Values” such as, errr, errr, Democracy!!

The form in ASBO style behaviour at NUTS Conferences over the years has been as impressive as their love of Democracy.

In 1995 the then Secretary of State for Education, David Blunkett (who is blind) was chased, heckled and forced to take refuge in a side office. Disability awareness is not a strong point in modern Britain.

In 2000 delegates staged a walkout during a speech by Estelle Morris.

In 2003 Secretary of State Charles Clarke would not attend the conference - and nor would any of his ministerial team. It highlighted the poor state of relations between the government and the union, which strongly disagreed with recent initiatives (sorry: that should read “any initiatives”) such as the push for advanced classroom assistants who would share some of the teaching workload with qualified teachers, in a small number of specific circumstances.

Mr Clarke said the conduct of NUT delegates had "not encouraged a positive dialogue" and had "seriously damaged" the image of the teaching profession. The union rebuked his decision as "immature". The BBC's education correspondent Mike Baker commented that "There is also evidence to support his view of the impression given to outsiders. I have become used to the ways of the NUT conference but each time I am accompanied by a new cameraman or technician, they are always appalled by the behaviour of a minority." An official of the GMB (which represents nursery nurses and classroom assistants) attacked the NUT's constant threats of industrial action, saying "The NUT executive should stop playing class war politics with our education system. They are not accurately reflecting the reality of the classroom or the agreement."

This year (2008) they (uniquely among the teaching unions) also voted for strike action; the following report from the Trotskyite “Socialist Worker” captures the flavour fairly well:

“Delegates agreed that this years’ conference of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) was one of the most enthusiastic and left wing ever. Teachers are currently balloting for strike action and questions of pay and industrial action dominated the conference, held in Manchester over the Easter weekend. Other important debates included pupil behaviour, class sizes, city academies and military recruitment in schools. The conference voted to affiliate to the Abortion Rights campaign. The left were well organised with a lively meeting of the Socialist Teachers Alliance on the Friday night. Around 70 people attended a meeting of the Left List. Over 250 crammed into a meeting on “Britishness, racism and the war” with Lindsey German from the Stop the War Coalition, former Guantanamo prisoner Moazzam Begg and Rose Gentle from Military Families Against the War.”

No doubt the Children of Britain need to be grateful to these Trots who were expelled from the Labour Party and who will demand respect from their charges when they next stand in front of their classes.

I have had some insight into the heroic cadre of leaders who lead these selfless working class heroes with their extensive holidays, bomb proof pensions, free school trips to exotic “educational” destinations and salaries of up to £41k a year. The NUTS bought a former stately home and college of education, Stoke Rochford Hall, in a leafy part of rural Lincolnshire where I often used to attend conferences (http://www.stokerochfordhall.co.uk ) This is a beautiful Jacobean revival house designed by the famous Scottish architect William Burn. The Hall was built in the early 1840s for a local wealthy landowner Sir Christopher Turnor. Many of the original features have been retained in and around the impressive Grand Hall and surrounding function rooms which include a magnificent Conservatory leading onto garden terraces. The rich interiors and attention to detail capture the Victorian splendour perfectly and the village itself was the birthplace of Sir. Isaac Newton. Following a serious fire in 2005, the Hall has had an extensive restoration scheduled for completion early July this year. In the grounds there is an indoor swimming pool and a fine fitness centre called “Gym and Tonic.” Across from it is an 18 hole golf course and in the basement of the main house there is a superb but expensive restaurant with prices which would not raise an eyebrow among Non Doms. in Mayfair, Central London but which seemed very high in leafy Lincolnshire.

But all was revealed for each weekend the General Secretary, in his chauffeured Jaguar, and the NUTS Executive committee would take themselves and others to this leafy haven for some serious Rest and Recreation utilising the apartments in this stately home reserved for just such a purpose which are a welcome perquisite of their position. They were unfazed by the fancy prices in the excellent weekend only restaurant for they did not have to pay, quaintly signing the bill as is their entitlement as NUTS Apparatchiks. When the NUT Executive demand better pay and conditions for their members I can assure you on this issue they lead both from the front and by example.

The teaching unions are against testing, league tables, out of school activities, academies, faith schools; you name it they are against it! What is far less clear is what they actually stand for. What they seem not to realise is that however inept the Labour Government has been in implementation they are responding to real parent’s concerns over standards, achievement, transparency and accountability. There is also a real public concern about what the extra teaching places, the real support and subsidy of teacher training, the increase in salaries and career paths for teachers and the huge real increase in the Education budget over the past 11 years has actually achieved.

There are real issues in U.K. Education in relation to choice, access, achievement and motivation and, whisper it, value for money. In the U.K. there is no doubt that children are spuriously over tested and forced to specialise too early resulting in an imbalanced education for secondary school leavers who can graduate without a foreign language, a knowledge of Geography or History and frequently without an effective ability to express themselves in writing or verbally. So there is a real and welcome debate to be had but until the teachers unions lead from the front and show the two “V’s”, that they have both a Vocation and a Vision there is little danger of their setting the agenda and being respected by their Pupils or indeed the Parent’s whose confidence they have lost.

The NUTS Conference in particular is the last playground of the irrelevant left wing juvenilia which has been so discredited in most other fields of endeavour. So, six of the best for the teachers and write out 100 times “MUST DO BETTER NEXT YEAR”. Sadly, this is a journey where it is possibly better to travel than to arrive, for like many of their half baked graduates the teaching profession seem to have lost the ability to learn the lessons of history. O.K. NUTS it’s time to get out of the playground and join the real world. That way you’ll get the respect of your pupils and their Grown Ups!