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SecEd: On Your Side
Legal powers give
Re-writing
no protection
YOU COULD be forgiven
for despairing a little
Pete
when you read our special Henshaw
feature this week on the
Editor,
history
legal implications of the
SecEd
Education and Inspections
Act (pages 8 and 9).
The government touted the Act, which has been in force
now for well over a year, as offering more protection and
support to teachers who have to use force or confiscate as
part of their daily working lives.
You might despair, because after 1,500 very interesting
and useful words, our legal expert tells us: “The powers are
there in principle, but are fraught with difficulty in practice.”
This dispiriting line sums up so much that is wrong with
the government’s attitude to teachers and our education
system. The Act was heralded by government as being their
tough-talking, rootin’ tootin’ answer to discipline issues and
the modern phenomenon of cyber-bullying in schools.
But after an in-depth analysis of the Act and its wording,
our legal expert concludes that it really doesn’t offer
protection at all, and teachers still face uncertainty over
THE REVAMPED national give the children an insight into the
curriculum means that all year Changes to the national curriculum for way in which Black and Asian his-
whether they will be safe if they confiscate mobile phones
8 and 9 students in England will tory developed, but perhaps choose
or use force to control a student. now study Britain’s involvement in
history, which will see teachers tackling
different starting points.”
When it comes to the use of force, it explains that only
the Slave Trade, the history of the
a range of new topics this year, have
Some of the sections in the new
“such force as is reasonable” may be used – very hard to
Mughal Empire and the role of war units cover subjects that many stu-
in colonisation. dents could hold strong opinions
prove. The power does say that teachers can use force to
drawn criticism from mainstream
The two World Wars, the about. The year 8 curriculum looks
maintain “good order and discipline”, but our expert adds
Holocaust, and the industrial revo-
media. Chris Parr talks exclusively to the QCA’s
at how tolerant the Mughal emperor
“there is ample room for differences of opinion on whether lution are still present, but press Akbar was of other religions, while
force would be justified in any given circumstance”.
reports last week questioned why
curriculum chief about what has been said
year 9 students will look at the reali-
In this context, the Act is not really worth the paper it’s
the names of significant historical ties of the Atlantic Slave Trade.
figures, such as Hitler and Stalin, history to be taught as part of school faith groups, pupils from all types But is there a risk that classroom
written on. Everything that the Act gives you power to do is
were not mentioned in the new curriculum amid fears Churchill of schools, governors, and parents discussion could cause tensions, or
put into the context of “reasonableness”, meaning you have
curriculum. will be sidelined in lessons.” that one of the things we should talk even potentially boil over?
to be able to prove that your actions were proportionate.
I asked Mick Waters, head of London’s Evening Standard about was the issue of youngsters’ Mr Waters responded: “I think
The logic behind this is plain to see, but nevertheless
curriculum at the Qualifications and added: “The only individuals now identity within a diverse society. the majority of schools are incred-
it makes it very hard for teachers to be certain of any
Curriculum Authority (QCA), why named in guidance accompany- “(After the consultation) the ibly social places, and youngsters
this was. ing the curriculum are anti-slavery emphasis moved away from talking are more than keen to talk about
protection under the Act.
“There’s been a lot of mischief campaigners Olaudah Equiano and about the detail, such as which bat- controversial issues. We’ve done
What sums it up further, for me, is the note of making in some of the media about William Wilberforce.” tle, which famous prime minister, some work on helping youngsters
caution our writer offers us. In law it is usual that the
the big names missing. They miss Mr Waters continued: “I think which event in history, and what to understand controversial issues
person who believes they have been wronged has to
the point, although that could be the issue of Slavery became more dates, to talking about how our and manage them in the citizenship
show that the actions leading to the incident were not
intentional,” he told me. specific within this curriculum part- historical development has shaped curriculum, and we’ve found they
“It only demands a little bit of ly because it’s 200 years since the the community in which we now are more interested in controversial
reasonable. Amazingly, this Act puts the burden of proving
common sense, which the media abolition of the Slave Trade. Our live. That community could be your issues than they are in sucking on a
reasonableness on the shoulders of the teacher. don’t necessarily have, to work out guidance tried to enable teachers and village, or town or city, country, or straw of fact. We know that teach-
This is astonishing. Under this piece of legislation,
that if you are to teach the world others to think more broadly about the world at large.” ers can get more engagement by
that was meant to champion the cause of teachers, if you
wars there are certain towering his- the way in which they could address With schools in different areas encouraging youngsters to have dif-
torical figures that would need to be that, so emphasising some of the comprising completely different ferent viewpoints and opinions.
confiscate from a pupil and that pupil or their parents
considered within that.” significant figures in the abolition of cultural make-ups, a lot of empha- “Of course, it’s a teacher’s job
challenge you, it is for you to prove that you acted
In the build up to the new term, the Slave Trade was essential. sis has been placed on ensuring to mediate youngsters’ false impres-
“reasonably”. a Daily Mail headline read: “Black “It’s not just the British aboli- teachers have some control over sions. They can do it by telling them
So it seems that the Act talks a good game, but without
tionists we’ve emphasised, but other how they choose to teach the new they’re wrong, but also by con-
any further guidance from government, any teacher who
abolitionists as well,” he added. curriculum. structing really good experiences
Inevitably, with new topics com- Mr Waters said: “Some of the that help youngsters to realise that
relies on it for protection will be putting themselves at risk.
ing into the curriculum, some areas children we are teaching are direct there are different sides to a coin.
This Act was a golden opportunity to send a message of
have had to be trimmed down. descendants of people who expe- “There is an incredible amount
strength and support to teachers. In the end, it’s turned out
Mr Waters explained: “Within rienced the Slave Trade, either as of bigotry in the world, and some
to be, in this context, a complete waste of time.
history we’ve looked carefully at slaves or as exploiters. It’s a fasci- of that bigotry comes about because
the previous programmes of study nating opportunity. people several generations ago were
and it is true to say that we have “We set about encouraging taught that there was only one ver-
Not set in stone!
slimmed down the range and con- schools to think about the design sion of the truth.
tent while emphasising the concepts of the curriculum and to look at “We have to help youngsters
and skills that youngsters will need your own community and think to see that it is about interpreta-
On a brighter note, the first major landmark on the road
to develop a love of history and a about what matters the most. So tion, about local and national pride,
to the abolition of SATs was seen this week as education
joy of the subject, and to understand if you come from a multicultural about recognising achievement, and
how history can inform and shape school community it might be right it won’t get out of hand if they’re
chief Ed Balls admitted that the current system is “not set in
society as it moves forward. to think how to balance the content doing those things – they’ll be car-
stone”. “It became clear through nego- and range to meet their needs. ried away with it.”
He updated the BBC about the pilots the government
tiation and consultation with the “If it’s a school community Access the new history curricu-
is running on ways of assessing pupil progress “child by
History Association, the citizenship that’s almost entirely White British, lum at www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/
All change: Mick Waters community, community groups, then you would equally need to schemes2/secondary_history SecEd
child with individual tests”, rather than all children doing
the same test on the same day. However, the new exams
apparently are still to be marked externally, although
IN RESPONSE…
possibly only for children leaving primary school.
The anti-SAT wagon is gathering momentum and this
Andy Ballard, the new some 30 years later, their children In rural communities, the lack Poverty is the scourge of
president of the Association and even their grandchildren, of aspiration and opportunity is our society. It is unacceptable
kind of announcement from Ed Balls was to be expected.
of Teachers and Lecturers, pass through the school still more acute. The lack of affordable to me that children from poor
What educationalists will be looking for now however,
addressed members of the experiencing similar levels of housing and lack of well-paid work, families are treated as if they
is more details on what is to eventually replace the current
media this week. In this deprivation. forces young people and families were feckless and idle, as if their
system of national testing.
excerpt from his first speech as The school and its staff work to find homes and jobs away from poverty was their fault.
SecEd believes that teachers are professionals and should
president, he brings the issue of tirelessly, in accordance with rural areas, ultimately leading to the These children must become
rural poverty to the table: government direction, to try to closure of playgroups, schools and our collective responsibility.
be left to undertake the assessment of these students. Many
raise the aspirations of those pupils. youth services. Schools and their teachers can
educationalists agree, not least Mick Brookes who writes on “I’ve spent most of my working And yet there still remain Children in families without only achieve so much, and that’s
the topic in our Union Address column on page 12.
life with children in a relatively children living in systemically poor cars face long journeys to school why when we have been looking
SATs will go, it’s only a matter of time, but will the
deprived area of Somerset. families – and I mean really poor, on infrequent and expensive public at rural poverty, we have called
government replace them with an equally unworkable
Among the pupils I taught were not just a bit short of the readies transport, leaving them little time on the government to assess
children from under-privileged – under-nourished, poorly housed, for after-school activities. each and every one of its new
system, or will they bite the bullet and admit that it’s only
homes. poorly clothed, culturally isolated Children without families fare initiatives against the impact it
by trusting teachers that they can achieve success? SecEd I am ashamed to say that and deprived. even worse. will have on rural communities.”
6 SecEd • September 11 2008
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