Dishonest reporting of spending on education

Nonnie the Minister saying that the figures are correct is exactly what I am talking about! They are, to my mind, willfully misrepresenting education spending as education budget, the spending figure includes parental fees for independent schools, tuition fees paid by university students, not the same thing at all, for heaven's sake.

In case you did not open the link, here are the two pertinent quotes:

^The Department for Education accepts that the spending claim is not limited to public spending on schools - but stands by its use of the figures as "true"^

^The investigation will be carried out by the UK Statistics Authority, the watchdog which prevents the misleading use of figures^

nonnie the figures are fudged to make it seem as if more money is going to state schools and improving budgets. The reality is known by governors and headteachers. They are barely making ends meet, many budgets are in deficit and that is after cutting back as far as they can.

'Lies, damned lies and statistics'. Yes so true and 'twas ever thus. I have no faith in what any government says. I was a teacher for 45 years and had to buy my own resources, reading books and even basic equipment such as pens and notebooks. I'm pretty sure this is still the case. You can also recognise teachers off duty who are collecting shells, seeds, leaves, information on topics in museums, libraries, exhibitions etc on Egypt, World War 1, Vikings etc etc depending on what the National Curriculum prescribes for their year. You don't see Doctors or Specialists in hospitals paying for the most appropriate medication for their patients as there is only one acceptable (cheap) alternative on the NHS!

My DGC are lucky enough to attend schools who do their best with the resources they have but parents are increasingly having to be asked to contribute and because I have had previous professional links with the same schools I have access to the difficulties they are facing and the impossible decisions they have to make due to decreases in funding.

It is only education where I have experience but this seems to be happening across the board. Never mind the token transparency why can we not simply have the truth?

Grandma2213 I don't know why you would draw a distinction between doctors and teachers. Most of those working in both sectors I know have similar situations and do their best in difficult circumstances. Of course doctors don't supply medication but they do spend time and money keeping themselves up to date wih the latest medical findings. Both professions work many more hours than they are required to and both go the extra mile for the people they work with. And both are now struggling to cope with the huge financial damage done by this government.

As Gillt pointed out the investigation is still to be carried out. Yes, I did hear it all on R4 news but I also heard that it is an accusation not a fact and I reiterate that I am fed up with headlines which actually say something is an accusation but make it seem like a fact. If at some point it is found to be false it won't make the headlines. I don't need anyone to tell me what has been claimed or to assume I defend the figures, I don't, I just want to wait to find out if this is a political slur or a fact.

It is a fact that figures for university student fees and private school fees paid by parents were included in this figure. The Dfes admitted it (see the BBC news story).

The investigation is over whether they should have been included.

many headteachers gave up a days pay recently to go to London to deliver a petition about funding. Generally speaking HTs are conservative people and so things are bad when they are out protesting about the poor funding for their students.

trisher I totally agree with you about doctors, teachers and probably nurses, social workers and other public sector employees that I have less knowledge about. They are overworked and spend more hours than they are paid for doing that work. They do pay personally for courses and resources to keep them 'up to date'. They do care about their pupils, patients, clients etc and they are all suffering from the cuts of the past few years.

When I made the comment about paying for medication it was actually a quote from a doctor that I had spoken to and yes they probably are not able to do this even if they wanted to. I apologise for what appears to be a flippant comment. It was not meant to offend.

Nevertheless it would be interesting to see a survey of how much people actually pay themselves to make their jobs easier and more effective (or to support those they are trying to help). It would be a better use of money than some of the surveys they actually do which have totally unsurprising results. I can think of a recent one I read which found that patients who had the same GP for years fared better and were more likely to take his/her advice than those who had a series of different GPs. What a surprise!!!! (NOT)

Thanks Grandma2213 I've family and friends in both professions so have seen them all struggling.
One thing has occurred to me junior doctors do get goodies from drug companies. I am told reps often arrange meetings late in the evening and provide pizza etc so that junior doctors will go, they are bombarded with info about new drugs in the hope that they will remember and use them later in their careers.
No one does that for teachers. But who knows, if academies continue to be gov. policy there may be people pushing stuff to teachers as well

One thing has occurred to me junior doctors do get goodies from drug companies.

Goodness, is that still happening? I thought the practice had been banned many years ago.

When I worked in hospital catering in the 70s we used to provide regular 'Mess Dinners'. Very nice evening meals for the doctors paid for by the drug companies. Good meal followed by a 'presentation' by the company that paid for it.

If it's still happening I'm

(though, poor old doctors only getting pizza. We used to do a 3 course meal)

I think that outside the public sector it is normal to pay for your own CPD courses. It was where I worked and no time off to do them either.

Exploitation of employees in the private sector doesn't justify exploitation in the public sector.

In the school I worked in CPD was part of the appraisal process. The school would fund (limited) CPD which would contribute to achieving a staff member's future objectives. Anything else an individual paid for.

For an employer to expect employees to fund CPD which is relevant to improving their performance (and so benefiting the employer) seems like exploitation to me.

It may be slightly under the radar MaizieD. Talk held about new drugs for treating something, junior doctors invited, rep turns up with pizza. I'm told it is sometimes quite late in the evening as well. You know, end of shift, need to eat, pizza available!!!

Maizie- it used to be much worse- ski or golf holidays abroad for the Consultants- nice Malt at Christmas, and other jollies, like dinners in posh restaurants, etc. It has all been banned, thank goodness- used to make OH so cross.

A pizza, well, not quite the same kettle of 'fish' ...

Maizie or you could look at it that the CPD is benefiting the individual and means they can gain promotion or another, better, job. Employers are responsible to their shareholders and therefore would do a cost benefit analysis and pay for things which benefit them rather than give their staff qualifications which enable them to move to another employer.

Except that schools do not have shareholders Nonnie and any CPD training undertaken by a teacher will eventually benefit children

"schools do not have shareholders" The way things are going they probably will have soon.

Well actually thinking about it Academies probably do!

They also have sponsors - some very 'dodgy' ones too.

Maizie or you could look at it that the CPD is benefiting the individual and means they can gain promotion or another, better, job.

Same applies in schools, nonnie. There's a career path in schools from NQT to Headteacher.. A school may well lose a teacher who has had CPD to another school, but they equally have the possibility of gaining one in their place. A well trained workforce is beneficial to the education system, as it is to any enterprise. But perhaps private enterprise doesn't take social 'good' into account.

Anyway, it's all a bit academic really.

Also Nonnie, a lot of the CPD in schools is actually being instructed in the latest fad to come from the latest Minister responsible.
You obviously have no idea at all how schools run, ^Employers are responsible to their shareholders and therefore would do a cost benefit analysis^. Just what will it take to convince you that what has happened is deceitful, dishonest, and offensive to those headteachers who were staging a quiet, desperate protest about what is happening in their schools?

It was rumoured that teachers in Harris,Academies got discount at Carpet Right

'Staff discount' no doubt, PECS

There has certainly been concerns voiced about contracts for goods and services going to friends and relatives of the Academy Management...

The soliticotrs firm that I worked for paid for solicitors to go attend lectures and courses that would contribute to their CPD. I don't believe it is only the public sector that pays for their employees to do this.

The free school and academy situation appears to leave plenty of room for misuse of funds because the schools are no longer overseen by local authorities but by central government - and how much oversight can there be when central government is so far removed from local areas? No doubt there will be many more scandals (there have already been several).

Of course continuing professional development is vital in law, education and health - otherwise the people responsible for health, justice and education will be stuck in a time warp and have no knowledge of ongoing research and developments in their professions.

trisher - I think the drug company "jollies" are a thing of the past. I remember them well though - one I went to with OH I was about 8 months pregnant and fainted during a particularly gory film that preceded the free grub!

Back to education - do not believe anyone who tells you that education funding is AOK. Like PECS I am a school governor - small rural primary - and know how tight the budgets are. We manage to tick along because:
- the PSA is quite extraordinarily inventive in their fund raising and without them ends would not meet.
- the staff work many many many more hours than those for which they are contracted. It is very embarrassingly uncomfortable for me, as chair of staffing committee, to have to be aware of this but be powerless to do anything about it.
- the teaching staff care with all their hearts about the children and the school as the heart of the community.

The situation is madness. At one time the LA education departments used to provide services: legal, staffing, payroll, resources etc. Now we have to buy in SLAs (service level agreements to pay for these things - out of limited budgets.

And then we have to pay the Apprenticeship Levy in spite of the fact that small schools have little scope for getting anything back from the scheme - just another drain on the budget.

And then OfSted pops in and makes judgements on tiny figures - a year group of about 5 children has no statistical validity at all - say one has special needs, another has a cold on the day of the tests, then two fifths of the year will be "failing" and we are judged accordingly - what nonsense and how dispiriting for those who are working so hard.

And then we have to watch the fat cat entrepreneurs making a fortune out of their academy chains with their impersonal approach. And have to endure these folk trying to suck us into their whirlpool. Sickening.

It is all deeply depressing and if we all - governors, staff and community - did not care so deeply about what the school stands for, then it would go under.

I knew I should not have started to post on this thread!