Divide and rule

Posted by Paul Dix on 18 June 2012 | 2 Comments

Tags: Phonics, teaching, English, reading,

I was odd to hear two teachers who both care passionately about children and education tearing strips off each other this morning. Greg Wallace and Mary Bousted were arguing about Synthetic Phonics. What worried me was not the nuances of the arguments on either side but that representatives of the teaching profession are increasingly being set against each other. We are starting to appear divided. The profession is gradually being seen as conflicted. Old debates are rehashed, private discussions are elevated to political positions and it is all being played out in the media.

For the political class dividing the profession creates opportunity to make change that no one can reasonably oppose. If teachers are divided and can't agree then politicians take over decision making. At a time when teachers should be united they are increasingly being encouraged to take a political position. Academies, free schools, phonics, uniform, zero tolerance (urghh), exclusion, 'bad teachers', restraint, SEN - we are scrapping in public and those who seek to marginalise, undermine and sneak change under the radar are laughing at us. It is a teacher sized trap that has been carefully laid.

Greg Wallace and Mary Bousted are both dedicated to improving the life chances of children. I suspect they share similar values, teaching experiences and pedagogical approaches. Yet when they appear publically they seem to be worlds apart. You have to ask yourself who benefits when teachers are set up to have these debates in public. When Newsnight invite Birbalsingh and various self proclaimed defenders of ediucation on the programme are they looking for intelligent discussion on the key issues for Education in the 21st century? No, they want a fight, a scrap, division and the gentle lobbing of insults.

Divide and rule is the oldest bluntest trick. We are being played for fools and falling for it every time.

Paul Dix