Sue Gerrard

I tell this story periodically, but it seems like it's time again:

General Motors ran an automobile manufacturing plant in Fremont, California, that was one of the worst in the country. Accident rates and defects were astronomical. Absenteeism was through the roof.
1/12

😳

Hope you have a happy birthday nonetheless!

That's an alternative for the current government. I was talking about what choices you had when voting.

Alternatives for government.

What were the alternatives? We're up against an electoral system that isn't representative and a direction of travel in all governments that isn't based on morality or fairness.

Same for researching. Twice in the past week AI has told me something that patently isn't true. And I wasn't even asking the AI's opinion.

Every government wants the trappings of power.

How can you be so sure? A minority government can still manage to do a lot of damage. Lib Dems aren't blameless by any means, but it seems unfair to blame them for Conservative policies and a direction of travel that Labour had subscribed to as well.

IIRC, the SEND part of the Children & Families Act was drafted by Sarah Teather & Norman Lamb, neither of whom, I’d venture, would have played much part in the ‘enabling’. Cameron et al would have been quite able to do worse without them.

The Lib Dems in the 2010 coalition government did try, via 2014 Children and Families Act, to make the system workable for children with SEND, but not enough resources were allocated for the changes, and we've been in a downward chaotic spiral ever since. 3/3

Improvements were made over the decades, and the Warnock recommendations (1978) could have transformed the system sustainably, were it not for Mrs T's budget cuts and 1989 Education Reform Act that re-introduced the principles of the Revised Code. 2/

The SEND crisis goes back to the 1862 Revised Code which set 'standards' for pupil attainment & paid schools accordingly. It was gradually abandoned after education became compulsory because it didn't take account of the diverse category of 'feebleminded' children. 1/

Communication difficulties vary across the whole population.

But past performance is an indicator of likely future performance so…

Whole language reading was based on the way children acquired spoken language. It wasn’t an effective way of learning to read because exposure to written language was too infrequent. Theory wasn’t about new=better.

apprentice without a sorcerer Cummings’ essay Some Thoughts on Education and Political Priorities highlights his admiration for experts, notably scientists, but this doesn’t prevent him making several classic novice errors. The…

Not even a sorcerer’s apprentice logicalincrementalism.wordpress.com/2020/02/09/a...

Seems to be all anybody talks about. I was looking for stats on changes in under 25s UK population yesterday and all I could find was analysis by ethnicity. And the AI response claimed exactly the same figures for the 2011 & 2021 censuses. Algorithms are hiding reality.

*Who* taught the robot how to fold shirts?

Indeed. Diagnoses are only being used to raise the eligibility threshold, which has no impact on children's actual needs.

The system has *always* been underfunded and understaffed. Governments since the mid 19thc have wanted a one-size-fits-all education system and have been perplexed when it doesn't fit 20% of students.

Perhaps they should move away from 'diagnosis' and towards 'needs' which is how the system' statutory duties are framed.

Is 'hepatitas' a Mexican snack?

With the emphasis being on *properly* rather than adequately. Far too much central control of arbitrary budgets.

Look at that baby’s little face.

Russia now making war on babies’ day care centres

#RottenToTheCore
Cowards.

On the edge My week in the NHS

New post just out:

"On the edge"

On my unexpected week in hospital and five things I learnt about the state of the NHS.

(Free to read)

open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/o...

2, without a doubt.

Bertrand Russell to Oswald Mosley. Perfection.

Once sat in a ward watching this happen to another patient. Dreadful. Sending hopeful vibes.