The devil detail is in the data .... alas ....

Having the space to escape from the treadmill (sic rat race) of full time teaching in further education over two years ago, a conversation today reminded me of the misunderstood goals of the system.

The obsession with standards and the specter of the inspection regime means that many educators are distracted by the way the data looks and seldom on the quality and relevance of the subjects they are teaching.

Maintaining standards is essential, having an independent inspectorate is important, but sadly many organisations are driven by meeting the requirements to maintain a high grade in the eyes of these, rather than a high standard in the minds of the employers and the experiences of the learners.

With the data, being this devil, you will often see that centres rated as outstanding have firstly accomplished the skill of making the data look good then secondly succeed in ensuring the teaching matches this view.

A very worrying thought, sadly a reality played out in many schools and colleges nationwide.

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