The worst government in British history?

[Pubey]

Nonsense. Labour failed to change their course in light of the international problems and continued to try and spend our way out of trouble. Definitely cant use this as an excuse I'm afraid.

it's a circular argument. there was no way we were going to avoid the significant effect of the global recession, irrespective of whether you think labour spent too much (which i think everyone will agree that they did).

 

[OldBlueLady]

The last part - do you mean their education policy? Gove is universally hated by teachers and pupils, were their policies worse than his?

It was a period of chopping and changing, different initiatives, different targets. One minute you're doing SATs at KS1, 2 and 3, then you're not doing them at KS3. Students at secondary schools were pushed into taking more GCSEs earlier rather than if they were gifted in a certain subject. Every Child Matters....Making Good Progress....Literacy and Numeracy "hours". Maybe Pubey, you just missed it being that bit older, but primary education was pulled to pieces and cobbled back together throughout that time. The entire school generation were successively guinea pigs for different ideas and I, personally, don't think it's any coincidence that so many of that age group are now disaffected and unemployed. Goal posts were changed every year, and it had a big effect.

Remember these wonderful people and what a good job they did? Estelle Morris, Ruth Kelly, Ed Balls? :nope:

 

[Another Surrey Shrimper]

OBL to be honest all governments make changes in education, it's as if they have to change things to justify their own existence. But at what points children are tested is not that drastic a change. I know that testing at a young age is frowned upon by many but the Tories didn't scrap that - SATS are still eating up loads if learning time. Taking GCSEs early is a valid idea as means spreading the pressure out rather than in my day you had one month at 16 where everything you had done in the last 11 years would be judged - if you ill at that point that was it. Gove's attempts to ban re-sits is far more damaging.

if you compare that tinkering to the crazy system that was tested in the late 70's / early 80's where one Benfleet schools was using the system (can't remember what it was called) where you learned to spell words in the manner you would expect to spell them, then unlearn that and learn the correct spellings afterwards. All the other Benfleet schools were just teaching actual spellings.
or now with Gove constantly talking about poor quality teaching and always spoiling for a fight. Trying to scrap re-sits. Telling the kids that are slogging their guts out on GCSEs that their qualifications are worthless. Forcing schools to become academies (my youngest daughter's school were forced into becoming an academy - two sponsors submitted applications and parents were given the opportunity to express a preference - 92% wanted a partnership with another local school, the DofE gave it to tge private Harris Academies). Giving people with no educational background the opportunity to set up 'free' schools where the teachers don't need to be qualified and giving licences to new schools without them even having a building to use. £9k a year tuition fees.....
Blair / Brown governments did what they all do, shuffle things around a bit - no massive achievement or damage to the education set up. Blair's academy idea was fairly insignificant on that scale but is now being used against the wishes of parents. B & B tinkered a bit but Gove is changing the very set up of education and I have yet to meet anyone who is pleased with his changes or methods.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Oh the shock,oh the horror.The Torygraph doesn't approve of Labour Governments.What else is new? :dim:

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

if you compare that tinkering to the crazy system that was tested in the late 70's / early 80's where one Benfleet schools was using the system (can't remember what it was called) where you learned to spell words in the manner you would expect to spell them, then unlearn that and learn the correct spellings afterwards.

The crazy system was probably phonics or "look and say",which were quite popular in Remedial English teaching at one time and still have their advocates today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saF3-f0XWAY

 

[South Bank Hank]

Oh the shock,oh the horror.The Torygraph doesn't approve of Labour Governments.What else is new? :dim:

Enlightening for the rest of us, but do you not see even the slightest bit of irony in your comment there?

 

[Another Surrey Shrimper]

The crazy system was phonics or "look and say",which was quite popular in Remedial English teaching at one time and still has its advocates.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saF3-f0XWAY

I thought it had another name, phonics is still used now in conjunction with other methods. I remember being in Benfleet library and they had a section there for these books - only about 10 of em though, those kids must have been sick to death of 'Robin Red Hat, Bobby Blue Hat'

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Enlightening for the rest of us, but do you not see even the slightest bit of irony in your comment there?

You'll perhaps remember that Zhou Enlai, on a state visit to Paris, was asked what he thought about the consequences of the French Revolution.

"It's too early to say" was his wonderful reply.:smile:

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

I thought it had another name, phonics is still used now in conjunction with other methods. I remember being in Benfleet library and they had a section there for these books - only about 10 of em though, those kids must have been sick to death of 'Robin Red Hat, Bobby Blue Hat'

I trained as a Remedial English teacher in 76/7 and phonics or "look and say" (or a mix of both) were certainly the methods in vogue at the time.

 

[Berrichonne shrimper]

You'll perhaps remember that Zhou Enlai, on a state visit to Paris, was asked what he thought about the consequences of the French Revolution.

"It's too early to say" was his wonderful reply.:smile:

0.

I think its safe to say SBH that you are right in your thoughts.

 

[steveo]

Oh the shock,oh the horror.The Torygraph doesn't approve of Labour Governments.What else is new? :dim:

This post, that's whats new. It didn't have a link to a guardian story.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

This post, that's whats new. It didn't have a link to a guardian story.

You should be at the game.Why aren't you?:raspberry:

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Nonsense. Labour failed to change their course in light of the international problems and continued to try and spend our way out of trouble. Definitely cant use this as an excuse I'm afraid.

Then why are the Tories still using it as an excuse four years after the 2010 election? :whistling:

 

[OldBlueLady]

I thought it had another name, phonics is still used now in conjunction with other methods. I remember being in Benfleet library and they had a section there for these books - only about 10 of em though, those kids must have been sick to death of 'Robin Red Hat, Bobby Blue Hat'

Roger Red Hat and Billy Blue Hat, lol! Do you mean "Letterland"? That was shocking! You're right in that there have been different methods, I learn to read using ita (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Initial_Teaching_Alphabet) which was taught in the 60s, bit of a pre-cursor to modern day Jolly Phonics.

But the goal posts did honestly change every year, and I think it's just so wrong to mess about so frequently with children's education. They get one shot at it and yet so many of them were screwed over.

 

[superblue24]

Then why are the Tories still using it as an excuse four years after the 2010 election? :whistling:

I don't think they are, are they?

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

I don't think they are, are they?

They are still, according to Michael Meacher, and will continue to do so right up to the G/E.

http://www.michaelmeacher.info/weblog/tag/tories-blame-labour-over-spending/

 

[applelover]

New Labour's worst crime was to destroy the sense of hope that many people had when they were elected. They had an enormous amount of goodwill to work with but threw it away.

People haven't had any faith in the political system since.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

New Labour's worst crime was to destroy the sense of hope that many people had when they were elected. They had an enormous amount of goodwill to work with but threw it away.

People haven't had any faith in the political system since.

Fair point (s).

But does that really make the Blair/Brown governments "The worst government in British history?"

 

[Smudger]

he missed out the selling of the nations gold for rock bottom price.

[video=youtube;XDwQEEAZhWM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDwQEEAZhWM[/video]

As to the wider question, I would have to agree with the journalist who wrote that article. They had so many huge opportunities and they royally ****ed the country up. Read Blair's book, if you can stomach it - he was far more interested in inter-party politics than the state the country was in. He detaches himself from any of his **** ups as if he had no connection to them. A disgrace of a man.....

 

[superblue24]

They are still, according to Michael Meacher, and will continue to do so right up to the G/E.

http://www.michaelmeacher.info/weblog/tag/tories-blame-labour-over-spending/

hmmm, lots wrong with this.

firstly, you've linked to a labour MPs personal blog page so likely to be as impartial as the Guardian. Secondly he is not even saying that the Tories are blaming the global crash, but instead blaming labour for the way they reacted afterwards which is not what you said.

just to clarify, I said labour couldn't use the global crash as an excuse for the financial trouble they got us I since they failed to change course, you then said "why are the Tories still using it as an excuse"....which they're not. They (rightly) blame labour for failing to bring some austerity measures into play.

Still, at least this government seem to be turning around the financial problems slowly but surely.