A quite marvellous explanation of why centrally directed systems do not work. It appears to be about teaching children to read but it is actually about the much more basic point that markets, with their experimentation, do a better job of finding effective ways to do things than systems where the correct answer is provided from the centre:
Nick Gibb, MP for Bognor
and Littlehampton, wrote to Ruth Kelly last week asking whether she now
intends to review the national literacy strategy in the light of this
evidence. On past ministerial performance, it appears unlikely: so much
has been invested in the NLS that successive education secretaries seem
unable to see the facts. The Clackmannanshire study, admittedly, is the
first to follow a single cohort of pupils for seven years, but there
have been numerous examples of individual heads switching to synthetic
phonics schemes and seeing their results improve dramatically, and
consistently.
No, this isn’t a launch pad for me to advocate the immediate privatisation of all schools (I’m actually in the voucher camp) but it is evidence of the need for schools to be run by those who actually run them….head teachers. Away with the men from the Ministry laying down the methods by which this will be taught, that learnt, the other explained, and allow the professionals, those actually doing the job, to use whatever method they find works. In short, a market in ideas, even if not in funding.
One could say that all that is required is for the centre to insist upon the use of this method, then all will be well. That rather misses the point, for if there had not been this experimentation, how would we know that the method is better? And how will we spot the next advance if there is not further experimentation?
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