Veteran anti academies campaigner and Islington NUT joint Secretary Ken Muller had an unexpected opportunity today.
He and some colleagues ran into Michael Wilshaw the head of government inspection service Ofsted. Ken who led the fight against the academisation of Islington Green school under the New Labour administration and was a founder of the AAA was able to put some questions to Sir Michael directly.
Ken challenged Wilshaw over his statement “If anyone says to you that staff morale is at an all-time low you know you are doing something right.” Its seems that, at least according to Sir Michael, that this statement was taken out of context although by whom he did not say. Ken argued that Ofsted had introduced a climate of fear into schools that led to a rigid conformity by school managements as to ‘what Ofsted wants’. This leads to teaching to testing regime and teaching to the test Ken told him. Wilshaw insisted that schools were better than 10 years ago.
As he left we took a vote, ‘Should Ofsted be abolished?’ Unanimously in favour!
