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Wednesday 5 August 2015

Angela Constance baffles her audience

[Angela Constance MSP spoke at the Robert Owen Centre]

"It was supposed to be a frank admission that standards of reading and writing in schools were not good enough. But Scotland's education minister has been mocked for a press release and speech packed with 'jargon and guff' that was 'practically unreadable'."


"Despite Angela Constance promising to be 'clear' at least eight times, critics said there was a distinct lack of clarity in her remarks and there was particular confusion about her promise that in the drive to improve standards 'nothing is off the table' but that the teachers sitting at that table 'will be fully-qualified and well-trained'..."

"But her attack on teachers for not caring enough about the importance of reading was dismissed by opponents as 'guff' which read like a 'word puzzle'."

"The barrage of criticism aimed at the press release clearly hit home, as officials hastily rewrote it ..."

"The press release also included a quote from Professor Christopher Chapman, described as 'Chair in Educational Policy and Practice and Director of the Robert Owen Centre for Educational Change'."

"He bafflingly added: 'We shall endeavour to use our expertise in theory-driven, applied research to support reform efforts and promote a rethinking of roles and responsibilities that generates improvement in classrooms, schools and across the wider system.' "

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3089297/Minister-gobbledegook-SNP-minister-ridiculed-jargon-guff-press-release-improving-standards-English.html#ixzz3hxcI152d

What is more baffling is that college places have been drastically cut at the same time the Scottish Government is talking about tackling the education attainment gap. For many young people college has offered an alternative route into employment and out of poverty. For others, it has been an important second chance. It does not make sense does it?

Penny Gower of the EIS speaking about the cuts has said: "... We were not responsible for the banking crisis and oppose the disastrous austerity programme that is being followed and this austerity programme is no solution, in FE or elsewhere."

See https://www.eis.org.uk/print.asp?id=2001&dbase=2

As for the Robert Owen Centre for Educational Change it states on its website:
"We aim to promote more equitable education systems through theory-driven, applied research underpinned by a commitment to the principles of social justice and lifelong learning."
http://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/education/robertowencentre/
I suppose we will be expected to listen to a lot more `jargon and guff` to explain away the cuts in colleges and the possibilities for lifelong learning which Curriculum for Excellence is meant to facilitate. 

2 comments:

  1. This woman represents the corporates

    ReplyDelete
  2. I suspect that most government ministers are in the pockets of the corporates and would not be in the positions they are in if that was not the case.

    I also think that anybody who cannot speak plain language is hiding their true agenda.

    ReplyDelete