Reshuffling...

In terms of the worst appointments in political history (and I make this statement from a politically agnostic standpoint), Michael Gove as Education Secretary was up there. It would have been like making Dennis Skinner Foreign Secretary or asking Arthur Scargill to offer his thoughts on wealth management schemes. You are talking about a position that is going to be met with burning torches regardless of policy from all teaching unions and most teachers simply due to the nature of their roles, the experience they've had with policy changes and the general leftward leanings that most of that profession hold. Asking a humourless “Tory boy” to come in and try and establish 1950s principles without any consultation could be viewed as brave but ultimately was political suicide and its probably just as well that he’s been pushed away...

What I would say is that having read some of the utter drivel that is spouted by the NUS pamphlets and magazines, is that irrespective of who is in charge of education (or which party wins the next election for that matter), teaching bodies need to better engage with the government on policy. It is better to work with rather than against people and there will always be a system in this country whereby needs and leadership changes so creating divisions is ultimately going to create one winner and that isn't schools. Politics shouldn't be brought into influencing the classroom – whether that be from teachers or the government or both.