Ofsted is the jewel in the crown of our education system. Why would Labour want to scrap it?
The Labour Party’s intention to abolish private schools is a dogmatic and spiteful policy that would fail on its own terms. Because it exposes the extent of Corbynite extremism, it has bumped Labour’s intention to abolish Ofsted from the top of the debate. But given that any attempt to abolish private schools and steal their assets would see the government entangled in legal processes for years, and abolishing Ofsted would be relatively straightforward, it is perhaps the latter policy which should worry us more.
It’s all part of Labour’s all round extreme and profoundly damaging plans for the English education system, which are every bit as worrying as their ruinous economic policies. Labour wants to implement a one size fits all “National Education Service”, and abolish private schools, grammar schools and free schools, while simultaneously overhauling the curriculum again and empowering vested interests.
They say they want to raise standards and do their best for parents and children, and yet intend to abolish a world class inspectorate body that provides parents with easy to understand information and a reliable, independently judged guide to their local schools. This would be a deeply regressive, unjust and totally unnecessary move.
Labour is obsessed with uprooting the education reforms implemented by the Conservatives over the last decade, irrespective of whether they have worked or not. A lot of work has gone into raising standards and ending grade inflation, but if Labour get in, they’ll ensure that they’re never held to account for their failures.
In a classic piece of Left-wing skulduggery, they intend to have local authorities assess schools in the first instance, with inspectors only called in if problems are raised. Ofsted is independent for a reason, because local authorities are responsible for maintaining school standards within their area. By allowing them to mark their own homework, Labour are inviting them to cover up their own inadequacies. It would take years for the extent of the damage to be exposed, by which time Angela Rayner will be long gone.
Currently, Ofsted gives schools simple grades – Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement or Inadequate – which provide parents with an easy to understand guide to how their local schools are performing. Detailed reports are available online for those who wish to access them and understand what the schools do well and how they can improve.
The education world is full of language only insiders understand. Ofsted provides the simple tools required for parents to make informed choices based on reliable information about what’s best for their child. According to YouGov, seven out of ten parents think it’s a valuable source of information and, even better, nine out of 10 parents are aware of the Ofsted grade of their kids’ school. Where is the public clamour for this ideologically zealous policy?
Currently England has a multi-layered, diverse education system which allows varying degrees of autonomy. To maintain high standards, Ofsted ensures schools are inspected by highly experienced and knowledge head teachers. Ofsted provides an early warning system that ensures problems are identified and underperforming schools are supported to get back on track. Under Labour, they would be left to rot.
It’s madness that Labour is looking to scrap Ofsted when it is considered a global gold standard inspectorate that other countries want to replicate. More schools are now rated good or outstanding than ever before, with only 10% in the bottom two categories. What is the problem Labour are looking to fix? Or is this a case of the Far Left wanting to placate the dogmatic loons in the Unions?
The truth is, this about kowtowing to the Far Left and pre-empting future dissent when their reforms face resistance or go wrong. Every year Ofsted provides an independent report to parliament on how well England’s education system is performing. We all know how well Corbyn and the Far Left respond to scrutiny and criticism, and under their policies they’ll strive to protect themselves. Far from putting children and parents first, the Left will put the Left and its rigid ideas first.
