Letter: Let's make voices heard to change education system for the better

This gathering consisted of teachers, pupils and parents who are gravely concerned about the effect that budget cuts will have if allowed to be implemented in 2019.

I started my teaching career in 1970 when schools, in tandem with LEAs, formulated curriculum and timetables. This of course changed with the implementation of the National Curriculum in 1988. The content of the Great Education Reform Bill was decided upon by politicians, industry and various bodies – not teachers.

As Kenneth Baker, the then Secretary of State for Education stated the new proposals would come from those bodies that sought to rectify the wrongs and failures of previous schemes. It should be born in mind by all concerned that the National Curriculum Part 1 was dead in the water and on the rocks by 1992 and according to the then director of education for Staffordshire writing in the Times Educational Supplement, had incurred costs of £3.5 billion.

The system for the inspection of schools had been moved to Ofsted where groups could win contracts to inspect schools replacing the old HMI. You could then finish up with a scenario where a school could not find the money to undertake essential building maintenance work but the inspection group's accounts showed a healthy profit. I spent 16 years as a primary school head commencing in 1987 and witnessed some catastrophic policies. We now have a situation where the number of teachers in schools with more than 10 years' experience is dwindling.

Added to this is a situation where heads cannot appoint a full-time member of staff and have to rely on 'supply' teachers. Finally we should mention a shortage of candidates prepared to take on senior management posts in schools. The idea that 'free' schools and an injection of 'grammar' schools is going to make everything in the garden rosy would be laughable if it were not so tragic.

It will be the responsibility of councillors, politicians, heads, staff and parents to voice their concerns.

S Pearce, Castlefields

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