Thursday 28 January 2010

Nothing you can do can take you away from My School

Like hundreds of thousands of others I looked at My School this morning.
I first of all checked that the youngest SC's school was where it should be. I then checked my local school of greatest interest, then I checked the little local school....yes I was making my own league table. I checked the middle SC's school where she has just begun teaching...no way of telling how they go at music (her speciality)
The information is OK but we are kidding ourselves if we think that folks aren't going to use it to make comparisons. And these comparisons will inform choices, and some will be able to respond to those choices. Those most affected (the bottom of the heap ) will probably be least able to move kids into other systems or schools. They won't really have choice.
Lots of questions not answered, principally questions about funding. What I called above "my local school of greatest interest" has peculiar funding issues.
They are the new middle class poor in a way. Unable to access disability or indigenous funding, special needs or other extraordinary grants...because they are really socially in the middle...the funding is an issue.
That school is good. Kids are bright. Staff work hard. Facilities are mixed.
But you can't tell anything from the website that lets you know that.
There is a lot more discussion to be had about that.

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