I've been reading the NUT's new manifesto for education (schools) in England. It does not take long. It has also produced one for Wales which I could not bring myself to look at. The NUT seems to have turned itself into the Daily Express – a newspaper for those who want the clock turned back to the last golden age – probably the 1950s, just after rationing ended, but before Suez. The NUT does not go that far back. It harks back to before the present (and Blair) government made life so tricky for it by embarking on school reform. So, if you're against tests, Ofsted, academies, free schools, teacher accountability, and a role for national politicians in national education policy – and you really miss the loose, but warm, embrace of local educational authorities – this could be just the document for you.
If implemented (unlikely, of couse) all this would likely bring England's schools level with (that is, down to) those in Wales – something no one would vote for – not even in Wales. If you're minded to read the manifesto, and want a bit of balance, you might do worse than this piece in the Economist; The new school rules.
Indeed, it may help you understand the manifesto, and why the NUT is so worried.
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