Friday Fuckwit: A Spokesman With No Name
Again, the 'Friday Fuckwit' award comes a day late.
This week, it goes to the unnamed spokesman for the Department for Children Schools and Families who reckons that teachers boycotting SATS would be "unlawful".
So - Don't bother considering the legitimate concerns of teachers about how these ridiculous tests get in the way of them doing their jobs (ie. teaching kids, rather than generating test scroes). Ignore the fact that most parents deplore SATS too and that kids are developing stress-related illneses because of them.
No, why bother even thinking about such serious issues when you can just wave your hand dismissively and write off any action against them as "unlawful"?! I guess that's easily done in a country whose anti-union laws are, as Tony Blair used to boast, the strictest in western Europe.
But in this case, the government may be arrogantly exaggerating the extent of these oppressive laws. Even the NUT's senior lawyer - renowned as a man who will defer to the law whenever possible - reckons that the boycott would not fall foul of the law. He states that, "If there was any serious question about the lawfulness we wouldn't be doing it."
Which may be reassuring in this particular case, but in general is not very reassuring at all.
This week, it goes to the unnamed spokesman for the Department for Children Schools and Families who reckons that teachers boycotting SATS would be "unlawful".
So - Don't bother considering the legitimate concerns of teachers about how these ridiculous tests get in the way of them doing their jobs (ie. teaching kids, rather than generating test scroes). Ignore the fact that most parents deplore SATS too and that kids are developing stress-related illneses because of them.
No, why bother even thinking about such serious issues when you can just wave your hand dismissively and write off any action against them as "unlawful"?! I guess that's easily done in a country whose anti-union laws are, as Tony Blair used to boast, the strictest in western Europe.
But in this case, the government may be arrogantly exaggerating the extent of these oppressive laws. Even the NUT's senior lawyer - renowned as a man who will defer to the law whenever possible - reckons that the boycott would not fall foul of the law. He states that, "If there was any serious question about the lawfulness we wouldn't be doing it."
Which may be reassuring in this particular case, but in general is not very reassuring at all.
Labels: anti-union laws, education, Friday Fuckwit
posted by Janine at 1:21 pm
|
