Education for Tomorrow

What price State education?

“ Advanced egg-sucking for grandmothers”

Our purpose...to explore what is happening in

education…in the context of the general political

situation...in order to understand why it is

happening…so that we can determine a way forward.

Winning the war... & post-war reconstruction

The economy needed an advanced, newly skilled working class

Workers demanded educational opportunity and fundamental social change

Both sides were aware of the political significance of a literate, skilled, educated working class

A new Britain... 1944 and all that The 1944 Education Act GCT Giles, President of the NUT...

A “reconstructed, unified, democratic system of education” “Can equality be achieved within the three school types?” The need to develop “a school of a new type” to “reconcile the claims of

vocationalism, citizenship and general culture” “(There are) those that argue that the experiment cannot flourish within a State

system. How little they know of the rich and varied history of State schools” Education, “a necessary condition of developing and broadening democracy” “The reactionary die-hard forces, which too often in the past have succeeded in

strangling educational & social progress, have not undergone a sudden and miraculous change of heart.”

“We will need all the strength, experience & leadership of our great Union and of a united profession… and the active sympathy & co-operation of a public opinion more enlightened and more determined than ever before to sweep aside the obstruction of vested interest and privilege.”

11+ & the fight for comprehensives

1960s & 70s agitation, research, campaigning &

struggle for comprehensive education Govt. Circular 10/65 instructed LEAs to begin 1969 & 71 “The Black Papers” counterattack 1970 Tory Govt (Education Sec Thatcher) 1975 Labour Govt (Ed Sec Shirley Williams) Threats of legal action against non-compliance 1976 PM Callaghan launches

“The Great Education Debate” 1979 Tories elected with PM Thatcher

Thatcher arrives...

The Tories gave us…

Defence of Grammar Schools

Assisted Places scheme subsidising private education

Local Financial Management & then LMS

Funding famine Compulsory Competitive

Tendering

“Opting Out” City Technology Colleges EAZs SATs & League Tables Punitive Ofsted Inspection “Parental Choice” Outsourcing of LEAS Private Finance Initiative

..and then came Tony

CCT footage from the crime scene

“Education, education,education” “Essential challenges of modernisation…

…to create an economy fully attuned to a new global market…

…to fashion a modern welfare state where the role of government changes so it is not necessary to provide all social provision...

…the process is irresistible and irreversible”Speech to TUC 1997

They know the truth...

“We also fail our most disadvantaged children and young people… internationally, our rate of child poverty is still high, as our the rates of worklessness in one-parent families, the rate of teenage pregnancy and the level of poor diet amongst children. The links between poor health, disadvantage and low education outcomes are stark.”

‘The 5 year strategy for Children & Learners’

Some contradictionsMass state education is the source of skill

and knowledge, which generate wealth Globalisation demands privatisation, and

the surrender of the public sector to the world of profit

Education for all demands increasing levels of public spending but..

There are pressures - including domestic and EU pressures - to reduce public spending

..which brought usthe Government’s 5 year strategy

‘Diversity & Choice’ attack on “bog standard comprehensives” Extension of PFI - “Building Schools For The Future” Specialist Schools Extension of “Foundation Status” for schools Further reduction in the role of LEAs and increase in outsourcing City Academies - now “Academies” and “Skills Academies” Workforce Remodelling - through “Social Partnership” divide &

rule Enforced school staff and pay restructuring & attacks on pensions “Academic & vocational ‘pathways’ at 14” Schools run by private companies, individuals, voluntary groups,

parents, faith groups Higher Education fees & increasing student debt

…and now,

The Education Bill (Act) 2006

Schools to be encouraged to opt out of LA as “Trust Schools” to

take increasing control the curriculum & teachers’ pay & conditions Businesses, faith groups, parents & universities to be allowed to set

up schools and help form clusters or federations of existing ones. ‘Popular’ schools to be allowed to expand & to take in more pupils. Private schools to be allowed to "opt in" to the state sector. Faith

schools, in particular, are expected to take advantage of this. Parents to be given a bigger say in the running of schools ‘Failing schools’ to be given a year to improve or face closure. Cut-price transport for families in poor neighbourhoods to give them

access to better-performing schools in wealthier suburbs.

Globalisation & education‘external’ pressuresAndy Green, reader in Education at University of London Institute of Education.

“As the national state becomes a marginal force in the new world order, so education becomes an individualised consumer good delivered in a global market and accessed through satellite and cable links. National education ceases to exist”

“Education, Globalisation & The Nation State”

Why educate your own people when you can import some cheaper, or export the jobs?

Education for global profit

Global spending on education exceeds one thousand billion dollars

World wide there are 50 million teachers employed Over one billion students are taught in hundreds of

thousands of educational establishments Education International - the international education

union organisation says,

“Some see this immense bloc as a dream market for future investment”

“Liberalisation world-wide”

World Trade Organisation, “General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS)… “GATS is the first ever set of multilateral, legally enforcable, rules governing international trade in services”

The European Commission publication “World Trade In Services”… “Services negotiations should extend liberalisation world-wide, creating new trade and investment opportunities in all service sectors”

The European Union Constitution and the European Services Directive reinforce these messages

Speaking personally...

Prof. James Tooley, privatisation theorist and practitioner, Newcastle University,

“We mustn’t be tempted by the reassuring spin that the public sector can hope to match the incentives of the private sector. The way forward for education is to bring in (these) incentives… Education is far too important to be excluded from the virtues of the profit motive”

and from the USA...

Michael Milken, a leading US finance capitalist, speaking to Arthur Levine, President of Teachers’ College, Columbia University…

“You guys are in trouble… and we’re gonna eat your lunch…”

The end of state education?As Education International puts it…

“In the wake of other major public services which have been subject to extensive privatisation & deregulation, public education is being increasingly targeted by predatory and powerful entrepreneurial interests. The latter are aiming at nothing less than its dismantling by subjecting it to international competition.”

Possible outcomes?

Academic, privately run, high flying “top up” fee paying schools staffed by qualified teachers, with locally negotiated pay and conditions - and financially supported by the private sector or owned by them.

“Vocational” schools, providing core curriculum - and post 14 training in FE colleges and on employers’ premises. Many classes run by non QTS staff.

Social Partnership… and Divide & Rule

The Government attempts to incorporate potential opposition…

The Workload/Remodelling Agreement and WAMG The School Workforce Restructuring Agreement Rewards and Incentives Group The pre-election Warwick Agreement Performance management regulations Teachers’ duties

Off the back foot…taking the initiative...

NUT’s “Bringing Down The Barriers”A new “Great Education Debate” “A Good Local School For Every Child”Re-organising our Unions to meet the

taskProfessional Unity and broad coalitionsTUC policy for “An integrated

programme of educational, vocational training and youth employment”