School restructuring

Occasional newsletter

Some months ago it was reported that the Local Authority was giving some thought to restructuring the schools so as to reduce the number of changes, which it was claimed upsets pupils and arrests their performance. There has been a consultation period, with all partied being invited to make a submission.

How genuine the following report in BoS is we will have to see, but my impression is that the conclusions are to be reportred to the LEA the only logical and realistic ones. There will be a considerable amount of disruption, but what is being proposed is along the same lines as adopted by just about every Education authority in the UK.

There is always opposition to change, so it was to be expected that the majority of respondents would argue for the retention of the existing system. Anyway, here is BOS' report:

"Schools are moving to a two-tier system - despite widespread public opposition.

A Bedfordshire County Council report has decided to ditch the existing three tier system.

The decision – reached by a council member working group – is expected to be rubberstamped at a meeting of the council's executive on June 27.

As the Local Education Authority, the council has run a three-tier school system (lower, middle, upper) since the 1970s.

Now the council has followed national trends in educational thinking and come out in favour of two tiers.

The move will see schools split into primary (four-11 year olds) and secondary (11-19 year olds).

A full consultation exercise was carried out across Bedfordshire with public meetings of parents, staff and pupils being held throughout March.

Some 60 per cent of parents objected to the proposal to scrap the three-tier system.

Other options discussed included the possibility of ‘all-through' schools (11- 19 year olds) and sticking with three tiers.

The three-tier system has been criticised by educational theorists for disrupting the education of children twice in a lifetime.

Studies indicate that every time a child changes school, he or she loses the equivalent of a year's learning development.

The overwhelming number of counties with two-tier systems also meant that the county's results were difficult to measure against national standards.

As yet there is no timetable for the phasing in the two-tier system but the council is expected to make recommendations about introduction when it approves the report. "

I'll keep you informed!

Robert Leggat