Critically evaluate how ?league tables? have affected the UK education landscape?
Use references I providedHow ?league tables? have affected the UK education landscape?
RISE OF EDUCATION STANDARDS ? STRESS OF PUPILS AND TEACHERS
But who creates the stress?
LIFE IN THE PRESSURE COOKER
Pressure ? stress
Performative systems
No autonomy for teachers, standardized- robotized
Rivarly against subjects, more resources to ones and more time in curriculum
The key is to succeed- then the autonomy is given to the school departments to continue the good work
?Earned autonomy?
When results fail they should expect greater intervention
It is this feeling of jumping through hoops in order to meet targets that can lead to teachers? sense of emotional dissonance as they lose their sense of professional independence.
The Teacher Support Network (2008) specifically cites league tables as a source of stress, stating that 62 per cent of secondary school teachers who responded to a survey said that performance league tables have a negative effect on their wellbeing.
nder extra pressure from league tables, as described previously, it is per- haps unsurprising that our teachers reported loss of control, frustration at having to work to others? agenda and lack of creativity.
Paul, head of English, Wesley). Neil (deputy head of English, Wesley) agrees, saying ?any sense of the teacher?s opinion, even though they?re the people that actually deal with it every day, it?s completely ignored. Totally ignored. It?s all about awareness of grades going up, awareness of parental pressure, awareness of government pressure?.
?a sense of autonomy is essential to emotional well-being?
So, as discussed, the teachers in the English and maths departments are under a great deal of pressure and this can be stressful and deprofessionalising.
maths and English means that English and maths departments can be prioritised above other subjects, because the whole school cohort takes public examinations in the subjects, and because of the traditional primacy of literacy and numeracy.
There has always been rivalry between departments, and even resent- ment from other ?less important? curriculum areas in situations where English and maths are or are perceived as getting more resources or (even) more curriculum time.
This is key. Whilst the core subjects are doing well in terms of the results, the departments can be left to make their own decisions, prioritise policies as they see fit, and run themselves internally.
