By: Blonde Two
No apologies for the title. Every now and then a girl has to get a bit political. What on earth would be the point of having such an attentive ready audience if she didn’t?
First let me state that I believe firmly in the importance of basic first aid skills. All three of my own children have performed first aid, in situations that could otherwise have resulted in loss of life; and I once taught a whole year group (around two hundred youngsters) basic first aid using the Red Cross Life.Live It resources (fantastic if you get a chance).
Sadly, that one year group was the only one that I was allowed to teach. After that Mr Gove and his legions of Ofsted minions apparated from the nether regions, exam results became the ONE AND ONLY MEASURE and my Life Skills/Careers course was abandoned.
The tories (note the small ‘t’) don’t appear to have changed their pinstripes. Their are not faltering in their drive to measure our children by numbers, and pin grade labels on their chests. Their latest effort to minimise activity beyond exam rehearsals, has been to block a bill to ensure that all secondary aged youngsters have first aid training. The method utilised to achieve this is more childishly pathetic than anything that I ever have seen in the classroom. Fillibustering simply requires the ability to talk nonsense for a very long time.
Small wonder they succeeded! Have a read for yourself and see what you think.
The image above this post shows a most excellent young man utilising his most excellent first aid skills.
We ought to be able to offer education – not schooling – to our children. Education fits you for life. Schooling? Well I’ve forgotten most of mine. I think the great lesson is that politicians should leave education alone until they have done a 5 year course in the subject – then they might have some sensible ideas.