Monday 3 September 2012

Free School Numbers Rise

The government have revealed that 55 new free schools are opening this autumn adding to the 24 currently up and running across England, with 114 approved to open next year
Free schools, a flagship government policy, are state funded schools that are not under the control of the local authority, thus giving head teacher’s greater control over the curriculum, teachers pay, term dates and the school day.
I think free schools are a great idea and back the government, and in particular education secretary Michael Gove 100% on this, thinking back to my school days all I can remember is how fed up everyone was.
Pupils because well that’s their job, but even the  teachers were bored, bored of teaching the same monotonous stuff in the same tedious way year after year after year.
The most engaging and insightful teachers and lessons I remember from my time at school were the ones that deviated from the norm, and in those lessons I felt I was being taught not being trained to spout keywords from a text book come exam time.  
Surely allowing the teachers to teach and be creative and not stick to a rigid, boring lesson plan that wears their drive and will down to a nub, can only benefit the kids they’ll be teaching.
Admittedly there is a risk with this policy that public money could be lost if any of the proposed schools fails to open on time or can’t attract the necessary numbers but I think the positives far outweigh the negatives.
I applaud Michael Gove for this at least he’s trying something new and being bold rather than just plodding along not daring to make any real change.

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