How We Must Rally To The Support of Teachers

How We Must Rally To the Support of Teachers

In this age of technological advance there is now some really practical support parents can give to teachers. The huge range of educational games and educational toys played in class can be used equally at home giving further support the child and teacher. Whilst this is seen as a significant positive in which parents augment the teaching capacity of the school there is another crucial area teachers could do with support.

The voice of reason struggles to be heard in the form of school inspections. Is the role of the inspection to reveal faults or offer a solution? It's easy to demonstrate theoretical improvements in a report but this generally instigates a negative response from the recipient. Very few of us can admit to criticism that has been a beneficial experience. Handled poorly it achieves an inherently negative outcome with only the exceptional individual able to shrug it off or respond positively.

If the schools inspectorate identifies areas for positive improvement why do most teachers see school inspectors as the enemy? The questionable energy spent by teachers orchestrating activities trying to impress the inspectorate would be vastly more productive if the role of the inspector was reversed. The critique of the inspection should be turned into an action plan in which the inspection team take an active role in the solution.

Being in the boat with the Head and the teaching team rather than on the shore throwing stones would provide a motivational lift and a more practical outcome on which the inspectors could also be judged. It would also allow teachers to do what they are good at and teach, and maybe avoid the negative and sometimes devastating outcome of some existing school inspections.

Easter 2008: Scotland. In the week preceding Irene Hogg's death, two school inspectors came to visit for five days. The head had spent weeks beforehand in preparation, ensuring the school, which she had run for ten years, was at its best. It seems her best was not enough. At the end of their visit, the inspectors told her verbally of their criticisms. A friend claimed that the criticisms were "silly". They are believed to include that a (contaminated) wooded area at the back of the school was not used, and Ms Hogg was to be reported to the council for not filling in a complaint form. Ms Hogg was apparently angered and "very disillusioned" by what was said to her. She failed to return to the school after Easter and her body was found the next night in a lonely part of the hills. December 2007: Jed Holmes, a 53-year-old head teacher in Peterborough, killed himself on the eve of an Ofsted inspection. The coroner commented: "We cannot exclude the proximity of the inspection. It was that which triggered off the action he took."

November 2007: Keith Waller a 35-year-old teacher in Essex, hanged himself after criticism by Ofsted officials.

January 2007: Sarah Flooks a 50 year old senior teacher, was found dead months after she disappeared the day before an inspection which she had been dreading. In her diary she was said to have written of Ofsted "coming back for more" and said she was "fed up with everything".

Alistair Owens has developed a website www.keen2learn.co.uk allowing parents to support their children throughout the schooling journey using a range of educational games and toys. Learning needs to be fun to allow children to get the best out of the learning process. The proactive support of parents can be hugely beneficial to both the child and the school.