Michael Gove article in 'Times Education Supplement'
Education Secretary Michael Gove reflects on the coalition government's first year - and argues that giving teachers more freedom "is a decisive shift in the education landscape".
The coalition trusts teachers. You鈥檙e the experts on the frontline. But for too long you鈥檝e been stifled by bureaucracy and not had the tools you need to deliver. Over the past year we鈥檝e tried to reverse that.
We have stopped the weekly bombardment of schools with unnecessary directives and guidance from central government. We鈥檝e scrapped the pointless form-filling that was the self-evaluation form and the financial management standard in schools. We鈥檝e set up a curriculum review that will reduce prescription and ensure you have the freedom to teach the subjects you are passionate about in the way you think best. We鈥檙e restoring adult authority to the classroom by giving you the powers you need to keep discipline. And we鈥檙e ensuring that the law is on your side against malicious pupils.
We鈥檝e given all schools the opportunity to break free from local and central bureaucracy with more money for the poorest pupils. Schools want the freedom to decide what is best for pupils. They want to be free to innovate in the classroom, inspiring pupils to learn. There are now hundreds more academies and many more will follow. This is a decisive shift in the education landscape. A shift of power from bureaucrats to professionals. It is a shift for the better.