Mass debate about education: my top 1000 priorities for schools

1. New in at number one (as correctly prompted by Sue Cowley) Children’s mental health.
2. Improvements in social justice and reductions in inequality.
3. Increasing democratic participation and decision-making for students, parents, communities and teachers.
4. Increasing democratic accountability of schools to local communities.
5. Improve professional standing of teachers, ensure appropriate work-life balance, fair pay and conditions. Teacher well-being and mental health.
6. Make teacher training a 5 year doctorate qualification. First 2 years university-school partnership, then 3 years in practice.
7. More professional development opportunities for teachers, teachers having access to masters-level qualification at least.
8. A more open discussion about data, evidence and research claims and its potential to improve practice and how it might impact on learning.
9. An open discussion about the role of the private sector in public education.
10. Greater transparency in the formation of policy.
11. A review of testing and accountability.
12. Accountability measures through sampling rather than universal testing.
13. Ofsted to be more independent of government.
14. Greater funding for a wider variety of educational research, reduce focus on RCTs.
15. …
16. …

28. Letting teachers who want to use synthetic phonics use them if they find them useful.

995. Review teaching practice which involves teachers categorising students as having a V, A or K learning style.

997. Review whether teachers wanting kids in rows memorising stuff is a good or bad thing.