Skip Navigation | Sheffield IMC | UK IMC | Editorial Guidelines | Mission Statement | About Us | Contact | Help | Support Us

UK Indymedia UK Indymedia Sheffield Indymedia Sheffield Indymedia

Get ready for McDonald's high!

rather scared | 28.02.2006 13:43 | Sheffield

Today, the Govt launches its contreversial Schools Bill, where's the opposition?

Get ready for McDonald's high!

Today, one of the most significant pieces of leglislation for over a hundred years, The Schools Bill will be presented to the commons, amongst its proposals are plans to let allow schools to become "trust' schools' and allow private businesses/the voluntary sector, religious groups to basically run schools in certain areas.

One could say we are going back to Victorian times or even further back, with the village school, etc, but in their defence, at least there was massive lobbies for state education. What we seem to be getting now is something new, (although not in the US) untested and potentially very dangerous. While many opponents are justifiably worried about the selection process these schools may use in the future and the L.E.A’s being frozen out, no one seems to have concerns about the ideological nature of these schools: Do people think that for instance, that as these schools become accepted that ‘Shell High’ will encourage a critical analysis of climate change and the environment or that a school funded by Muslim or Christian Fundamentalists will encourage a critique of their respective religions, never mind explore humanism, non-beliefs, etc. However, imo, it is the corporate influence that will be the most long lasting and influential: as the Jesuits once said, give me the child at seven and I will give you the man.’ So, one can argue that soon we may have a mirror image' free-market version of the Soviet Union, instead of churning out ‘good communists’ now the goal will be be to churn out uncritical but highly educated consumers who can play their part in the great global economy.

The major opposition to the bill has come from Labour rebels and some unusual critics like Neil Kinnock, . However, the left/radicals etc, have been largely absent, nothing here on IUK for instance, Yet, these are changes which may have profound consequences, long term even more than the War in Iraq, which many activists, particulary the SWP/Respect obsess about (despite the recent tragic events.) The environment, an issue close to radicals hearts will become increasingly marginal in a neo- liberal education system, excepts perhaps as a 'business opportunity'. So, are we sleepwalking into a new 'Brave New World' of capitalist/consumerist hegemony, where a McDonalds High or a Virgin Interactive Academy, (you can be sure Branson will get on board) is the best thing our educational system can offer,

So, where's the opposition?




about the bill
 http://politics.guardian.co.uk/publ...1719913,00.html
.

rather scared

Comments

Hide the following 4 comments

well

28.02.2006 15:58

you said

>> So, where's the opposition?

What, can't see the woods for the trees mate? Looks like YOU are the opposition! Get on with it and good luck :o).

jools

Jools


Despite what recent tragic events ?

28.02.2006 16:19

"However, the left/radicals etc, have been largely absent, nothing here on IUK for instance, Yet, these are changes which may have profound consequences, long term even more than the War in Iraq, which many activists, particulary the SWP/Respect obsess about (despite the recent tragic events.)"

What recent tragic events should stop us caring about Iraq ?
So, you think we should care more about UK kids potentially receiving a flawed education rather than Iraqi kids actually getting killed today ? Have you a non-racist explanation for this ? What is the worst that could come from corporate schools ? A non-thinking, non-critical populace who are easily side-tracked from foriegn wars ? We are already there.

Small tip for future reference, if you are trying to encourage more activism in any field it doesn't pay to demean other activists causes or to overstate your own case.

Danny


Read between the lines

28.02.2006 17:01

"...if you are trying to encourage more activism in any field..."

He's not trying to encourage more of that at all, quite the opposite in fact.

It's just one of the clueless rightwing trolls that hang around here for hours, attempting the old "we're doing this wrong, we're focussing on the wrong things" trick, after first establishing his right-on activist cred by criticising the govt.

As if to oppose the education bill you need to stop opposing the war.
Coming up after the break: in order to successfully eat rice, you need to quit eating wheat.

Fuck you AND your war, "rather scared".

DF


Finally...

01.03.2006 14:05


Dead glad to see that someone's debating this on here, at last.

In fact, loads of organisations have pointed out the dangers of further privatisation of schools and the fact the education bill might help companies bring in a dodgy ethos.

Who's said that? Well the NUT, for a start. And Comprehensive Future. And Alistair Campbell's partner Fiona Millar who wrote a big pamplet recently saying that "the Big Mac academy was no longer unimaginable" or something like that.

It was also pointed out by the MPs on the House of Commons education select committee, which said there should be a list of agreed companies which can be allowed to set up academies and trust schools, deliberately to stop Big Mac High or the Silk Cut technology college. But that idea has been rejected on several occasions by the Government.

Don't believe the hype about the bill being the biggest education change in 100 years. It's all spin and counter-spin. There's actually next to bugger all new in the details - it's a tiny, tiny mouse step compared to previous education legislation by Labour (such as the one that allowed academies to be created). It's just the direction of the steps that's the worrying part.

back to marking,

TeachazPet

TeachazPet


Kollektives

Birmingham
Cambridge
Liverpool
London
Oxford
Sheffield
South Coast
Wales
World

Other UK IMCs
Bristol/South West
London
Northern Indymedia
Scotland

Sheffield Topics

Afghanistan
Analysis
Animal Liberation
Anti-Nuclear
Anti-militarism
Anti-racism
Bio-technology
Climate Chaos
Culture
Ecology
Education
Energy Crisis
Fracking
Free Spaces
Gender
Globalisation
Health
History
Indymedia
Iraq
Migration
Ocean Defence
Other Press
Palestine
Policing
Public sector cuts
Repression
Social Struggles
Technology
Terror War
Workers' Movements
Zapatista

Sheffield [navigation.actions2016]

Sheffield [navigation.actions2015]

Sheffield [navigation.actions2014]

NATO 2014

Sheffield Actions 2013

G8 2013

Sheffield Actions 2012

Workfare

Sheffield Actions 2011

2011 Census Resistance
August Riots
Dale Farm
J30 Strike
Occupy Everywhere

Sheffield Actions 2010

Flotilla to Gaza
Mayday 2010
Tar Sands

Sheffield Actions 2009

COP15 Climate Summit 2009
G20 London Summit
Guantánamo
Indymedia Server Seizure
University Occupations for Gaza

Sheffield Actions 2008

2008 Days Of Action For Autonomous Spaces
Campaign against Carmel-Agrexco
Climate Camp 2008
G8 Japan 2008
SHAC
Smash EDO
Stop Sequani Animal Testing
Stop the BNP's Red White and Blue festival

Sheffield Actions 2007

Climate Camp 2007
DSEi 2007
G8 Germany 2007
Mayday 2007
No Border Camp 2007

Sheffield Actions 2006

April 2006 No Borders Days of Action
Art and Activism Caravan 2006
Climate Camp 2006
Faslane
French CPE uprising 2006
G8 Russia 2006
Lebanon War 2006
March 18 Anti War Protest
Mayday 2006
Oaxaca Uprising
Refugee Week 2006
Rossport Solidarity
SOCPA
Transnational Day of Action Against Migration Controls
WSF 2006

Sheffield Actions 2005

DSEi 2005
G8 2005
WTO Hong Kong 2005

Sheffield Actions 2004

European Social Forum
FBI Server Seizure
May Day 2004
Venezuela

Sheffield Actions 2003

Bush 2003
DSEi 2003
Evian G8
May Day 2003
No War F15
Saloniki Prisoner Support
Thessaloniki EU
WSIS 2003

Server Appeal Radio Page Video Page Indymedia Cinema Offline Newsheet

secure Encrypted Page

You are viewing this page using an encrypted connection. If you bookmark this page or send its address in an email you might want to use the un-encrypted address of this page.

If you recieved a warning about an untrusted root certificate please install the CAcert root certificate, for more information see the security page.

IMCs


www.indymedia.org

Projects
print
radio
satellite tv
video

Africa

Europe
antwerpen
armenia
athens
austria
barcelona
belarus
belgium
belgrade
brussels
bulgaria
calabria
croatia
cyprus
emilia-romagna
estrecho / madiaq
galiza
germany
grenoble
hungary
ireland
istanbul
italy
la plana
liege
liguria
lille
linksunten
lombardia
madrid
malta
marseille
nantes
napoli
netherlands
northern england
nottingham imc
paris/île-de-france
patras
piemonte
poland
portugal
roma
romania
russia
sardegna
scotland
sverige
switzerland
torun
toscana
ukraine
united kingdom
valencia

Latin America
argentina
bolivia
chiapas
chile
chile sur
cmi brasil
cmi sucre
colombia
ecuador
mexico
peru
puerto rico
qollasuyu
rosario
santiago
tijuana
uruguay
valparaiso
venezuela

Oceania
aotearoa
brisbane
burma
darwin
jakarta
manila
melbourne
perth
qc
sydney

South Asia
india


United States
arizona
arkansas
asheville
atlanta
Austin
binghamton
boston
buffalo
chicago
cleveland
colorado
columbus
dc
hawaii
houston
hudson mohawk
kansas city
la
madison
maine
miami
michigan
milwaukee
minneapolis/st. paul
new hampshire
new jersey
new mexico
new orleans
north carolina
north texas
nyc
oklahoma
philadelphia
pittsburgh
portland
richmond
rochester
rogue valley
saint louis
san diego
san francisco
san francisco bay area
santa barbara
santa cruz, ca
sarasota
seattle
tampa bay
united states
urbana-champaign
vermont
western mass
worcester

West Asia
Armenia
Beirut
Israel
Palestine

Topics
biotech

Process
fbi/legal updates
mailing lists
process & imc docs
tech