What a Cock*

Waking to the news that Michael Gove has lost his job (whatever the spin) has left me feeling quite chipper. Well that and the French espresso.
I've quite a few friends who work and volunteer in education, from Governors to Head, through Teachers to part time volunteers. Not to mention a lot of students. I've yet to meet any of them that had a good word for him.
Now I'm old enough to remember when my history teacher was also my maths teacher and my sports teacher - jack of all trades, master of sod all. Teaching *may* have once been an easy job. But nowadays all the teachers I know work huge hours during term time, still work in the holidays and take a lot of stuff home. Still more importantly pupils now do much better, "the exams must be easier" is a knee jerk reaction, a failure of recognition of the effort they put in, supported by teaching staff. More children now have more opportunities. And not as some would say just gifted children - there are now more pathways to recognition than I ever encountered, teachers running after schools clubs and courses, trips and experiences.
Yet recently this has been done in an appalling culture of blame. Gove seemed insanely keen to conquer through division and attrition - a return to the worst examples of us and them policies.
Many years ago I worked for an American boss, he wasn't a nice man, I'm sure he and Michael would have gotten on famously. One day when it was pointed out to him that you couldn't always manage by 'stick' he smugly replied "too many carrots gives you fat donkeys" - I had to smile at the old foreman who replied "things that get struck enough break; broken things don't work" - six months later that factory shut its doors for good. Thank goodness Goves now gone and perhaps we can now approach education with some sense again.

Bonus points for anyone who knows where todays blip was taken.