“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
