What do you want to ask the government about education?

Education is vitally important, for individuals and society. But it can be controversial and the source of a great deal of stress (for all of us!).

I'd like to know what worries/concerns you about education. The Schools Minister, Jim Knight is happy to answer questions, so please send me yours, and I will it put it to him. Then check back on January 26th to see the answers. The Minister is happy to answer 15 questions, so get going and I will pick the best....

Please note that as Schools Minister, Jim Knight is happy to answer question on nurseries, primary and secondary schools, exams, post 16 education, bullying etc, but not on universities (which is a separate department).

Update: The questions have now been sent. Please check back for the answers soon.

Thanks very much

Read School Gate on:

Who do you trust more on education, Labour or the Conservatives?

Why Oxford's Bullingdon Club raises questions about the Tories

What's the best film set in a school?

Should teachers be paid the same as doctors and lawyers?

Comments

[Ivor Dunmoanin]

Polite Request:
When you say 'check back for the answers soon'...do you have a perticular date in mind?
Only I'm getting a bit chilly waiting at the School Gate! Thanks...
BRRRRRR!
Ivor X
http://wannabepm.blogspot.com/2009/01/back-to-business.html

[karen]

I am not sending my children to a state school because of the social engineering and political correctness. They don't want them there to learn about what we value, they want them there to brainwash them into left brained automatons who are scared to say bah bah black sheep. Do you agree minister.

[Chris]

How can the government continue to allow the exorbitant amounts of money to be spent, wasted, in the setup of Academies when they are presented as the answer to the National Challenge situations and as the threat of closure being hung over schools not reaching this arbritrary figure of 30% 5 A*-C grades.
Money that should/could be spent on improving the opportunities for youngsters is poured down the throats of consultants, experts and contractors who have no understanding of schools and the way they operate or have any knowledge of what is good for our children? How can this be allowed to continue?

[Ivor Dunmoanin]

Why does the state system foster mediocrity in the majority, make good provision for the disadvantaged and completely disregard the aspirations and needs of the academically gifted? Read The Sutton Report
http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Education/documents/2007/09/20/Strust.pdf
Why are the bright kids neglected in the state sector? Their life chances are limited if they are not in a selective or independent school. This is an appalling indictment of the stste sector of education in the UK today. See http://wannabepm.blogspot.com/2009/01/hard-times.html
Ivor X

[Desmond]

I would not ask him a single question. As, I know for certain, I would not receive a truthful and honest answer!

[daniel1979]

What marks did you get in your exams?

[John Taylor]

The government has narrowed the point of education (particularly later education such as Year's 10,11 and sixth form) to the extent that they are only focused upon exams. This is beacuse the pressure to learn the new information results in what was taught last year, or the year before, becoming surplus to requirements (i am in upper 6th and struggle to remember the information from the exams last year never mind year 10 or before, despite acheivng A's last year and majority A* at GCSE). Surely the point of education is to grant lasting knowledge and life skills, not the simply drill students for exams?

[Ana]

Why is this Government not considering to provide money for schools to employ specialists, foreign language teachers, in primary schools?

Why use amateurs to teach foreign languages in primary schools ??

[Bill]

Apart from the NHS education is almost the last nationalised industry left in the UK. It is time that the Government got out of it and devolved it to parents and local communities. Good schools would 'cream off' the brightest pupils and people would demand those left in the 'bog-standard' be given better education. This Labour Government will NEVER do the right thing for schools which they believe to be the engine for social change (ie dumbing down).

[Derek Bevan]

Why isnt there a vote of no confidence !

[Glen Thomas]

The government appears keen to ignore and underme quality independent education research, favouring, instead, in-house reports that with obvious conflicts of interest.

Will the government commit itself to considering research on its merits, rather than on its narrow political significance?

For example, will it recognise that much of the grade improvements of recent years is illusory?

[Tim from London]

The government has been focused on exerting stronger direction over comprehensive and faith school admissions policies over recent years, presumably to prevent "cream-skimming between comprehensive schools.
Yet Grammar Schools (most recently Nonsuch and Wallington High School for Girls) and independent schools increasingly are widening their catchment areas including run extensive network of coaches to pick up children from 1 hour and more away - why doesn't government prevent cream-skimming of this kind by grammar (and independent) schools