This in from Cllr Chris Whitehouse, in his own words. Ed
The UK’s leading economic magazine, The Economist, today (25.1.14) contains a major article analysing the performance of schools on the Isle of Wight and concludes that there are lessons to be learned from much more socially deprived areas like Tower Hamlets.
Speaking today, Cllr Chris Whitehouse, (Newport West) who speaks on education for the Conservative Group of Isle of Wight Councillors said:
“This is a fascinating article which draws the conclusion that as well as the mishandled school reorganisation, the Island has three fundamental problems which are quite surprising.
“The analysis concludes that the Island suffers because it lacks a large city, it has some but not many poor children, and it is almost entirely white. At first these findings are counterintuitive, but I am persuaded by the author’s arguments that the focus and drive of schools in areas like Tower Hamlets, which is much more socially deprived, have forced up standards hugely in recent years.”
Underachievers trend led by “poor white students”
The paper observes that the situation on the Island is consistent with the national trend that the largest group of underachievers are poor white students, and also observes that the situation on the Island is aggravated by a lower than average demand for skilled workers and the challenge of attracting good teachers.
The paper refers to Mrs Pat Goodhead, Principal of Christ the King College, the only high school on the Island rated “good” by Ofsted, who highlights the many job advertisements in local media for relatively low skilled jobs in the care and hospitality industry.
It goes on to highlight the success in Tower Hamlets where the culture of aspiration was changed in part by schools running programmes through local mosques. Its hard-hitting conclusion is that on the Island “there are fewer obvious institutions through which to try and improve the lot of the godless white majority”.
Not all doom and gloom
Speaking today, Cllr Whitehouse adds:
“Let us be clear, however, the situation is not all doom and gloom. As Cllr Richard Priest and I recently pointed out in our joint statement, there is a new optimism in many of our schools. Most senior leadership teams accept and understand the problems that they have inherited and have robust improvement plans to ensure that they make the progress necessary.
“They now receive excellent professional support from Hampshire and Isle of Wight officers and robust but constructive challenge from Ofsted. As an Island we are on a journey, but at last it is in the right direction.
“Cllr Priest, who leads for the Independent Administration on Education, and I will continue to work together, putting all politics on one side, to deliver the progress that is necessary.”
Image: BarneyMoss under CC BY 2.0
