Comment: Don’t schools try hard every day?

May 20 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

THE news that large numbers of children are leaving primary school unable to read, write or cope with basic arithmetic is almost beyond belief. Yet Ofsted inspectors have been forced to conclude that school standards have “stalled” – leaving a shocking average of one in five youngsters failing to achieve even basic levels of education.

Government statistics point to rising standards, improving results and, it would seem, a successful system churning out legions of intelligent children poised to become the leaders of tomorrow.

Every year, records are broken when the GCSE and A-Level results are announced – and arguments are trotted out about exams getting easier, provoking denials from ministers and educators.

But this warning from the education watchdog is one we should all heed.

Ofsted dismisses claims by ministers that standards are rising. Its plan to improve standards includes allowing children and parents to trigger inspections, force “coasting” schools to improve, while leaving the best schools for longer between inspections, and “lightning inspections” in which teachers receive no warning before a visit.

Teachers are understandably unhappy at the idea of inspectors parachuting in to appraise, assess and leave without giving them time to prepare. Ofsted inspections are typically stressful for those involved, and to have “spot-checks” being carried out without warning will unsettle educators even more. The National Union of Teachers has even warned the plan would lead staff to quit.

But this is an interesting idea in line with the zeitgeist of transparency and openness. Do schools need time to prepare for inspectors to visit? Surely every day should be an example of a school striving for excellence, even if common sense dictates that it cannot always be achieved. Parents, we suspect, would rather know a school strove to do its best by pupils every day, rather than swotted up to pass set tests.