Forum Topic

Chiswick & Hammersmith constituency

The Sky poll is predicting that Andy Slaughter will get 60% of the vote.

Susan Kelly ● 266d31 Comments

https://amp.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jun/17/teachers-gps-staggering-extra-demands-poverty-great-britain

Philippa Bond ● 252d

Not identifying children with possible special educational needs because of perceived cost implications to the school lets down both the school and its pupils.  Sending children home with spelling lists to learn copied incorrectly down from the board (ie unchecked) is unforgivable.  There are different ways of learning and we all have strengths and weaknesses - however wonderful we may think we are!  There are computer programs which can help ie a more multisensory approach can suit more people instead of causing divisions.I agree with Anita that inspirational teachers may not be the greatest spellers but being inspirational is in itself a very great asset in a teacher!

Philippa Bond ● 252d

Why did want 5 like Rishi? or just one like Farage?

Matthew Swain ● 255d

"What’s a ‘progressive remain voter’ out of interest?"One who doesn't believe hanging should be brought back for Farage, Johnson, Cummings and Rees-Mogg.

Felicity Caborn ● 255d

What’s a ‘progressive remain voter’ out of interest?

Russell Pearson ● 256d

I think a lot of this data is drawn from the census so car ownership is based on a question about access to a car or van rather than where it is registered.

David Turner ● 256d

David, can I ask what less than half households have a car actually means because so many people have company cars which won't be shown as being registered to a household.

Adrian Irving ● 256d

Getting back to the Hammersmith and Chiswick constituency. The electoral calculus website predicts an easy Labour win with Labour winning in all wards including the former Tory wards  in Chiswick.Some interesting (to me anyway) stats about the constituency too: mainly economically centrist, socially liberal, progressive remain voters. And less than half (47%) of households having a car!https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/fcgi-bin/calcwork23.py?seat=Hammersmith%20and%20Chiswick

David Turner ● 256d

Apologies for suggesting that you read the Daily Mail but, wherever you are getting your information from, it is ill-informed nonsense.The PISA scores which are an international ranking of educational attainment show the UK education system performing relatively well and getting back to levels seen in 2018 in reading and writing. This may have passed you by, but the pandemic had a very big impact on schools in this country but the system appears to be recovering. The one area where there is slippage is in science and it has already been explained to you about the challenges in this sector.

Felicity Caborn ● 256d

“ An article in the Daily Mail isn't evidence. Your involvement in our education system was probably a long time ago”It’s rather nasty, if not outrightly bitchy, to make reference to the Daily Mail, Felicity, so I’ll treat that remark with the contempt it deserves.  For the record I have never read the Daily Mail but will admit that I have on occasion glanced at the front page when waiting at my hairdresser. And no, my ‘involvement’ in our education system wasn’t a long time ago! If anything the problem has got worse. Wake up!!

Steve Taylor ● 257d

That's a fair point. It should be added that, because Hounslow is treated as an outer London borough, Chiswick teachers get paid less than ones working in neighbouring areas. This is a particularly acute problem for STEM teachers whether they can spell or not.

Felicity Caborn ● 257d

While the notion that teachers generally can't spell or punctuate is pernicious nonsense, I would make one observation. It is a few years back now but judging from communications with the people who were teaching my children, some of those teaching science subjects did struggle a bit with grammar and spelling. They were nevertheless excellent teachers, and given the shortage in these subjects, only a fool would advocate them not being employed because of a deficiency which is largely irrelevant to what they are doing.

Anita Blake ● 257d

An article in the Daily Mail isn't evidence. Your involvement in our education system was probably a long time ago and it may be comforting to you to spout lazy fallacies but the reality is that you are taking the very small number of teachers who fail to reach the high standards of their peers as the norm. Must try harder.

Felicity Caborn ● 260d

Yes of COURSE I have evidence otherwise I would not make such statements. Why would I ?

Steve Taylor ● 260d

'A generation of teachers who can't spell..' Any evidence other than anecdotal for this statement?

Stewart Jones ● 261d

Oh dear, now it’s unwarranted to state that we have a generation of teachers who can’t spell and struggle with punctuation and grammar. Sums up the attitude of people who settle for mediocrity. Little wonder our school system is in the mess it is and why good teachers are leaving the profession.

Steve Taylor ● 261d

"Comments like that are just ignorant and unwarranted."Comments like that are what we have come to expect from Silly Steve.

Richard Greenhough ● 261d

'Does the fact that we've had ten education secretaries mean that we have to accept that we have a generation of inarticulate teachers who can barely spell or string a sentence together'That is an absolutely outrageous statement, having just stood down as a school governor for over thirty years, I know the sheer pressure teachers work under. As well as teaching, they have to have the skills of a U.N. diplomat, the empathy of social workers, the skill of an accountant and a very good personnel manager not to mention the patience of a saint. Just keeping up with the never ending stream of legislation and demands from the government is a nightmare in itself, I was always amazed that any time could actually be found for teaching at all. Most of us would be tearing our hair out if we had to put up with half of what they are expected to do. Comments like that are just ignorant and unwarranted.

Vanessa Smith ● 261d

Well said, Sam

Stewart Jones ● 261d

England came fourth internationally for primary reading proficiency in the highly anticipated Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) results. This continued success in PIRLS follows the focus on phonics and is driven by improvements for the least able pupils.This success follows on from a series of reforms to improve standards in reading including the introduction of the Phonics Screening Check and the introduction of the English Hubs programme. Teaching is not an easy job and in times past it was actually considered as much a vocation as a profession. As a governor of a local primary school I am in awe of the dedication and professionalism of the teachers that I see in action in the class room and the leadership team who inspire such loyalty and respect.

Sam Hearn ● 261d

“ Friends who went into teaching couldn't wait to retire.”Precisely!  Because the new generation can’t spell or articulate plus the restrictions put on teachers because of snowflake attitudes and the alleged mental health bandwagon that children are subscribing to. Yet, somehow the Labour Party are claiming to be able to recruit 6,500 new teachers. They don’t tell us where they will find them though. It’s all such lies.

Steve Taylor ● 261d

The constant changing of curriculum and rules doesn't help. Friends who went into teaching couldn't wait to retire.

Susan Kelly ● 261d

Does the fact that we've had ten education secretaries mean that we have to accept that we have a generation of inarticulate teachers who can barely spell or string a sentence together.

Steve Taylor ● 261d

And yet what? How about the fact that there have been ten education secretaries in the last thirteen years?

Stewart Jones ● 262d

When I left school in 1973, my friends who failed their A levels went off to Teacher Training College. Teaching has long since been an all-graduate profession and yet ...

Susan Kelly ● 262d

It’s not just a matter of ‘paying’ for extra teachers. Where do they think they will find them???  Are they just going to import them or try to train boat people? Already we have a generation of inarticulate teachers who can barely spell or string a sentence together. The low standards set are extremely worrying.

Steve Taylor ● 262d

It is the pledge to tackle tax avoidance that amuses me.  I think at every election since the mid 1990s both parties have pledged to do this in order to pay for a particular spending priority and post election the amount actually raised is a lot less than they claimed they would raise.As for the VAT on private schools paying for extra teachers that pledge is already coming apart - especially in the SEND sector.

Justin Stephenson ● 262d

Apparently Hammersmith takes precedence (pshaw!).No Monster Raving Loonies contesting the seat unless you count Reform or George Galloway's Workers' party.

Susan Kelly ● 262d

And of course he doesn’t say where they will get the extra 6500 teachers or the additional GPs to reduce the waiting times. He also doesn’t say where he will get the additional neighbourhood police officers. There have been unfilled teaching posts for the last decade so where do they think they can suddenly find 6500 new teachers. Especially at a time when teachers are leaving the profession in droves due to the snowflake mentality and lack of discipline in schools where teachers now have zero authority over unruly kids and parents are becoming more and more demanding of teachers and taking zero responsibility in bringing up their kids.

Steve Taylor ● 264d

isn't it six pledges? The six "first steps" are:Sticking to tough spending rules in order to deliver economic stabilitySetting up Great British Energy, a publicly owned clean power energy companyCutting NHS waiting lists by providing 40,000 more appointments each week - funded by tackling tax avoidance and non-dom loopholes.Launching a border security command to stop the gangs arranging small boat crossingsProviding more neighbourhood police officers to reduce antisocial behaviour and introduced new penalties for offendersRecruiting 6,500 teachers, paid for through ending tax breaks for private schools.

Davey Harris ● 264d

WhippeeeDoes he have 7 pledges for us by any chance

Julian Pavey ● 266d