You know there is an unhealthy obsession with the league tables which completely loses sight of the individual as pupils are sluiced en masse through a system which may well be more efficient, but which has lost touch with reality, as Alan Howe did those last few months. I checked up on the Castlerahan Primary School, where he was Deputy Head(someone who has to make his superior the Head look good and therefore that much more added pressure) and the Child Protection Policy is just one of many policies which struck my eye:
St. Mary’s N.S. Castlerahan seeks to help the children to grow and develop into healthy, confident, mature adults, capable of realising their full potential as human beings. We strive to create a happy, safe environment for the children where they feel secure, knowing that if they have concerns, they will be listened to with understanding and respect and their concerns will be addressed.
How these are achieved in practice is an eternal vigilance, which is to the teachers' credit if properly implemented, but the sad fact is there are so many regulations today the job has become impossible, the policy words swimming around in an individual's head as he looks to the next pressing concern.
The problem is the low skilled jobs have disappeared, being shipped off to China, heaping the pressure on those charged with assisting young people to perform, and as you say one has to ask oneself ultimately if it's all worth it. https://youtu.be/KVw8WzceF6g
League tables,targets,all part of governments interference in the workplaces,namely schools and hospitals which makes and creates the stresses that we see today.Other areas too like GP surgeries and retail----all dictated to which leaves the workers scrambling and in a frenzy to adhere to these rules which are impossible to meet. Cutting corners to meet deadlines are there for all to see in every workplace and where there's failure you have mental health problems among those who are dedicated to their jobs.
All the unnecessary " jobsworth " brigade of Ofwat,Oftel,Ofcom, Ofsted,etc etc ( made up jobs ) These " regulators " of services are non-starters in any industry,for it's those who are already in charge of areas of employments,e.g. bosses who are a sufficient body without the need to waste millions on organisations such as these.
There is an obscene waste of money in this country when it should be going into the NHS and education and not to the interfering busy bodies who haven't got a clue about either profession.
Mental illness will increase rapidly because of what is expected of everyone, and hundreds chasing very few job opportunities.
I've actually heard about a headmistress who rejects children into her school if they come from poorer families. All this woman cared about were her league tables and the Ofsted visits.No mention of encouraging these poor little souls into education,it was all about herself and this is how I see the country going------them and us,created by those " who follow the rules ".
