On inspection overload
The link is to Frank Coffield writing in the TES about Ofsted's "Common Inspection Framework" for Further Education. Thanks to Peter H for showing it to me.
Interestingly enough, the Daily Mail has a front page lead today on how one in three schools is "failing to provide adequate teaching" according to Ofsted. A major problem seems to be that lessons are boring and uninspiring. It is of course just possible that it is the leaden hand of inspection which leads to that problem... Ofsted is part of the problem, not the solution.
Incidentally, the Mail arrives at the "one in three" figure from the finding that;
"Teaching in 2 per cent of schools - about 400 - was rated 'inadequate'. It was merely satisfactory in a further 28 per cent."In Orwellian Ofsted Newspeak, "satisfactory" means "unsatisfactory"
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1230668/How-1-3-schools-fails-provide-adequate-teaching.html#ixzz0XsM7tEJZ (The Daily Mail--the Sun with added fear. See Baggini, 2007, pp26-27)
posted by James A @ 1:05 PM: Permalink
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Apparently, the TES article is severely truncated; the full article of 1,400 words on "Ofsted Inspected" will appear in the December issue of Adults Learning. Watch this space.
I saw the offending article plastered all over the front cover of the Daily Heil when I went for a much needed haircut yesterday afternoon. It wound me up for a number of reasons, including the Orwellian rebranding of 'satisfactory'. The main thing that annoyed me, however, is that it's completely true about the adult literacy. There's so much joy, freedom and power in being literate, but the current, ubiquitous model of only teaching stuff which can be tested and funded at the end of the course squashes the life out of everyone, teachers and students alike.
I actually find it quite reassuring that my students become very miserable when summer comes around and there are no classes for 3 months. It means I'm doing something right.
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