Forum Topics

Forget Latin: Labour's education plans

'Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson was last night accused of taking a ‘simplistic’ approach after she said that top exam results alone will not make children ‘happy’.Laying out her vision for schooling in her first address to academy trust leaders since Labour came to power, Mrs Phillipson said that while a string of A* grades may ‘open important doors’, pupils need a ‘wider’ set of goals for a ‘healthy and happy life’.In a clear swipe at the Tories’ former regime, she accused them of having ‘tunnel vision’ when it comes to exam results - and said she wanted to promote ‘collaboration’ rather than ‘competition’.She has called for a review of the school syllabus and the emphasis to be placed by schools on teaching in general.She is to be aided in this by a committee lead by Professor Becky Francis.Prof Francis, who criticised the Tony Blair government for “an obsession with academic achievement”, and the committee leading the review are now considering proposals suggested by teaching unions, school groups, think tanks and Royal Societies.From Andrew Pierce in Mailonline - "Labour appoints academic (Prof Becky Francis) who specialises in equality and gender issues and accused the Tories of being obsessed with improving exam grades in charge of overhauling school curriculum"On her watch, the conventional orthodoxy on education will be turned upside down, with less reliance on rote learning and even less emphasis on exam grades.Don't take my word for it, just note what Francis wrote with co‑author Louise Archer in her 2006 book about schools, ­Understanding Minority Ethnic Achievement: Race, Gender, Class and 'Success'.In the preface, they say: 'Our intention is to help lever social justice concerns back into mainstream educational debates that have been dominated by the neo‑liberal language of 'quality' – in which concerns with ­'equality' have been evacuated and consigned to the margins.'So the new education supremo is more concerned about equality than quality. Improving grades will take second place to tackling so-called injustice.In the book, Francis also despairs over what she regards as the then Labour government's 'obsession with academic achievement'.She wrote: 'This is amply illustrated by the proliferation of testing regimes, academic league tables and the regular high profile publication of achievement statistics, from children's earliest years through to GCSEs.'Indeed, we would assert that achievement is not just an educational issue for the current government it is the educational issue.'

John Hawkes ● 671d2 Comments ● 671d

Antisemitism

"The term ‘antisemitism’ is being weaponised and stripped of meaning – and that’s incredibly dangerous"by Rachel Shabi"When the international criminal court issued arrest warrants for Israeli officials in November, the response from the country’s government was all too familiar. The prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, rejected outright the warrants for alleged war crimes in Gaza against him and the former defence minister Yoav Gallant, calling them “an antisemitic decision”. The ultranationalist national security adviser, Itamar Ben-Gvir, declared that the court had shown “once again that it is antisemitic through and through”. And the transport minister, Miri Regev, chimed in, claiming: “This is modern antisemitism in the guise of justice.”Bleakly, none of this was a surprise. Over a year into Israel’s assault on Gaza, which some experts have described as a genocide, accusations of antisemitism raised to counter criticism of Israel have gone into overdrive. Such claims have been made against protesters crying out for an end to the bloodshed in Gaza and against the UN and aid agencies warning of a humanitarian catastrophe. They have been levelled at global news channels and the international court of justice; against actors, artists, pop stars and even British-Jewish film-makers. So sweepingly and speech-chillingly are such claims made by Israel’s diehard defenders that the very term “antisemitism” is losing its meaning. It is exactly as the British-Jewish philosopher Brian Klug warned 20 years ago: “When antisemitism is everywhere, it is nowhere.” Blanket misuse has, troublingly, turned the term into a feature on an Israeli politician’s lingo-bingo scorecard."https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/dec/31/antisemitism-israel-gaza-war-right

David Ainsworth ● 674d31 Comments ● 671d

Destroy Food, Water and Power Sources in Gaza

"Controversial 'Generals' Plan' in northern Gaza picks up steam.The proposed strategy involves several steps: First, encircling and evacuating the population. This would be followed by the remote destruction of all energy sources, including fuel and solar facilities, and the elimination of food sources such as warehouses and water reservoirs. The plan also calls for the remote elimination of anyone moving in the area who does not surrender with a white flag during the siege.Eight members of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee have recently signed a letter demanding that Defense Minister Israel Katz immediately replace the operational plan in Gaza.A situation report presented to committee members recently reveals that Hamas is swiftly rebuilding in every area from which the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has withdrawn, including rearming in Khan Yunis and Nuseirat.Likud Member of Knesset (MK) Amit Halevi initiated the letter, which was signed by MKs from all coalition factions. It contains harsh criticism of the war's conduct thus far and demands that Katz himself replace the current operational plan, which Halevi describes as "stagnation," with a strategy focused on "victory and decisive action."Members of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, who closely monitor IDF operations since the start of the ground offensive, argue that the ground operation that began on October 27, 2023, and its subsequent execution, "fails to achieve the war's objectives as defined by the political echelon – dismantling Hamas's governmental and military capabilities." They note that these goals remain unrealized, despite the operation taking place in a relatively small area against an enemy lacking the tools and capabilities of a modern army.The signatories contend that the IDF's current approach, relying on focused raids, allows Hamas to repeatedly rebuild its capabilities. This strategy, they argue, has resulted in a war of attrition that does not bring about a decisive outcome."....................."Katz, who due to the war's intensity has not received the customary 100 days of grace in his new role, is now tasked with reevaluating the operational plan alongside the Prime Minister. They are expected to lead the implementation of the "Generals' Plan" to defeat Hamas wherever the IDF needs to engage.The proposed strategy involves several steps: First, encircling and evacuating the population. This would be followed by the remote destruction of all energy sources, including fuel and solar facilities, and the elimination of food sources such as warehouses and water reservoirs. The plan also calls for the remote elimination of anyone moving in the area who does not surrender with a white flag during the siege.Only after these actions and a period of siege on those who remain should the IDF gradually enter for a complete clearing of enemy strongholds. This approach, the signatories argue, would minimize unnecessary risks to IDF soldiers' lives.""Katz, who has not shied away from confrontation with the IDF chief of staff, now faces perhaps his most significant challenge in shaping Gaza operational decisions – a domain previously led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Katz's predecessor.The prolonged nature of the Gaza war, now exceeding a year without achieving its stated objectives, has become a source of deep concern for many Israelis. This includes parents of soldiers, families of hostages, and residents of communities bordering Gaza. Committee members, who field repeated inquiries on this matter and compare them against IDF responses, fear that the current approach will fail to achieve the war's objectives, both in the near term and long term."To date, IDF representatives in the committee have failed to provide satisfactory explanations for why they are not taking the necessary actions to decisively defeat the enemy, nor have they outlined clear plans for the future," the letter concludes. "We therefore request your immediate intervention to address these questions and provide appropriate directives to the IDF. The goal must be to achieve a decisive victory and halt the unjustified risk to our soldiers' lives.""https://www.israelhayom.com/2025/01/02/knesset-committee-pushes-for-controversial-generals-plan-in-gaza/Don't worry, Trump's a-coming to help!

David Ainsworth ● 674d5 Comments ● 673d