Gove is new Justice Secretary

Unfortunately the problem with supply work started some ten years ago with the burgeoning of teaching agencies. They charged the schools less than the correct pay rate - which is what education authorities paid supply teachers. Also these teachers although qualified were unable to contribute any superannuation via the agencies. I did some supply teaching when I first took early retirement and the difference in pay for me was 50% in the money I received as I was very experienced and on the top of the scale. The poor young teachers were at a great disadvantage because apart from their pension as this agency work did not count as time served.
When I first began teaching there were unqualified teachers and these jobs were phased out and equal pay had just been introduced. Then there was the bee in the bonnet that it was to be a totally graduate profession and now look where they are going. It is disgraceful and putting the children's education at risk and totally unfair on young people who have spent four years training to do the job properly. I cannot understand why the unions are not kicking up more fuss.

They are, Bez. It's just that nobody notices the unions unless they threaten to stop babysitting. I am an ex-teacher, too. One son is a teacher and union rep, his wife is a teacher and my other son's partner is a trained teacher working as a TA as that was the only job she could get that was not temporary.

That is awful for her jen all that work! Do they need much in the way of qualifications to be an assistant - I know nothing about them

Teaching is part of the reason I'm so ill. So many hoops to jump through. Make the child achieve target by any means necessary. Don't bother about encouraging a joy of learning. As for reading it's a means to an end. Can they read instructions and fill in forms? Can they dissect a sentencee? They don't need to enjoy reading, just be able to do it. If they stop learning or ever read a book again when they leave school that's not a problem because they don't count in the league tables anymore.

Vampire I was lucky and able to take the early retirement when the joy from the job went and you were re-inventing the wheel all the time. I think it has continued to get worse for all concerned since then and they seem to be getting more children unable to read let alone for pleasure. What is more they still do not have a method of making a silk purse from a sow's ear!! I would vote for anyone who could tell me how to do that. More experienced teachers are needed at an early stage to help redress the situation - and smaller classes - every child extra to a class of 24 is like having two more and over thirty three more! The amount of work achieved in smaller classes is phenomenal.

Bez, she has a degree in psychology, an MA, and a teaching qualification.
She then had to take another course to be a TA. Ridiculous, isn't it?
She is Danish, so did all this with English as a second language.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/may/10/michael-gove-to-proceed-with-tories-plans-to-scrap-human-rights-act

Apparently he supports capital punishment, too.
Must base himself on a Dickens character.

See his opinion was that the Stephen Lawrence investigation was tantamount to a witch hunt. What a charmer he is.

The abolition of the Human Rights - law to abolish it is to be drafted within a 100 days. Given the legal complexities, Gove is once again showing his mini-understanding of his portfolio - no doubt the legal profession will be feeling bewildered at the choice.

Apparently withdrawal from the ECHR will plunge the UK into a constitutional crises. It will be resisted by Scotland (oh good let's give them yet another reason to become independent) and place the UK government in breach of the NI Good Friday agreement of 1998 which was approved by a referendum of the whole of Ireland and lodged in the UN.

Please sign up to this .

act.sumofus.org/go/8790?t=5&akid=10600.8185493.H-T-67

It's about human rights, TTIP and the EU. Right up Gove's street.

The SNP oppose TTIP. Tories want it to go through, as did Labour.
I have a list of policies of the main parties in the election. The only one that considered TTIP very important is the Green party, who want to end the talks, calling it "globalisation in its worst form".

It's my opinion that Gove is Scotland's secret weapon to undermine English systems. Scotland has its own education system - Gove created havoc in English schools; Scotland has its own legal system - what will Gove do to the English courts? When the young Gove left his posh school in Aberdeen, I am sure he was taken captive by an underground Scottish organisation and brainwashed to do as much harm as possible as an English MP.

Watching the EU parliament this morning talking about TTIP.I t clear that there is a huge amount of unease within the European nations. An Italian amongst others got up and said that that if access by companies to national and international courts to claim compensation from EU government went through, they, in effect will have more power than EU citizens.

Brilliant, anno. Who do you think he wants to hang? The English or the Scots?

Priti Patel wants to bring back hanging as a deterrent. She's in the DWP.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/the-tories-new-dwp-minister-wants-to-bring-back-capital-punishment-10240777.html?origin=internalSearch
Reduce the unemployment figures at the same time.

Oh goodie - let's have another referendum!

Hidden in the reporting of the election is an article DWP has also just made one of first government cuts to access to work scheme for the disabled.

Link here, whitewave.

you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-changes-to-access-to-work

I don't doubt that Gove would willingly hang some SNP members! However, he doesn't have authority over Scottish courts. Of course, once they cross the Border, they are fair game.

Oh, dear, there are quite a few of them at Westminster at the moment. Hope they are okay.

annodomini - I nominate your post about Gove at 17.18 today for gransnet post of the year

Ana - whatever your views on my drama queen approach to Gove, we're doomed I tell you, all doomed!

Time will tell.

It would seem that the LibDems did have some tempering influence in the last administration and stopped the repeal of the Human Rights Act. Exactly the sort of thing they should have been saying during the election campaign.

So Priti Patel wants to bring back hanging to act as a "deterrent" - in the face of a complete absence of evidence. Some thoughts for her:

- The statistical evidence doesn't confirm that deterrence works (but it doesn't show that deterrence doesn't work either)
- Some of those executed may not have been capable of being deterred because of mental illness or defect
- Some capital crimes are committed in such an emotional state that the perpetrator did not think about the possible consequences
- No-one knows whether the death penalty deters more than life imprisonment

So....there is no evidence for her statement.

This is Gove all over again, basing policies on ideas that seem a "good idea" intuitively but cannot be substantiated by the evidence. Are we to have ministers pushing through their pet theories again?

Oh dear Mishap. The last debate about hanging was in the late 70's, I think around 1978 when there was some fear it would be brought back. I agree, there is no evidence the death penalty is a deterrent and I don't want to live in a country where the state kills people. I don't want to be rude, but what a ridiculous suggestion from Pritti Patel

Apparently Mr Gove agrees.