Primary Education Review Wrongly Rubbished by Government

One thing that I have noticed about the Labour Government we have been lumbered with for the past decade is that they love an enquiry. Were there WMD? "Couldn't possibly comment 'til the enquiry reports", have MPs been steeling from the tax payer by fiddling their expenses? "We need to wait 'til the enquiry delivers its report", what about the economy, knife crime, torture, Jean Charles de Menezes, NHS dentistry, social housing, Baby P, banking bonuses, drug and alcohol abuse...."enquiry, enquiry, enquiry!!!"

The problem is that the enquiry rarely if ever achieves anything. It has been used consistently by failing cabinet ministers to avoid answering tough questions on real and current issues as they arise. They cost an arm and a leg because they are always conducted by very experienced and highly decorated individuals and when the results are published, if there is anything which could be construed to be contrary to policy or performance the government rubbishes the findings.

Sometimes charities commission reports instead of the government which you would think the gov. would be happy about considering they don't have to pay for these reports themselves. The interim report by the Cambridge Primary Review on primary school education is a good example of such an enquiry. Its interim report, published recently however was dismissed and branded as "insulting to children and teachers" by the government. How can this be? This is an independent report and is the biggest review of primary education in the UK for 40 years. It is well overdue. Common sense suggests that one of the big reasons why UK society is in such a sorry state is because of the repeated failure of successive governments over the last 40 years to address the issue of primary education in a sensible fashion and give kids the right start in life. This being so, I find it hard to comprehend why the government, particularly in light of the fact that they don't have any plausible ideas or policies in this area anyway would rubbish this report with such strong language.

The Cambridge Primary Review is funded by the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation who's aim is to "improve the quality of life for people and communities in the UK, both now and in the future". Call me crazy but I thought that this was also what the government was supposed to do amongst other things. It becomes clear that the reason why the government is attacking the report is because it is doing what the government should be doing...but isn't and for reasons that the government should be doing it for...but isn't. Therefore the only reasonable position available for this self-serving self-destructing regime to take is one of attack. It also highlights the major fundamental flaw in the New Labour movement; the fact that they cannot and will not admit to any wrong whatsoever, whether its primary education, social services, crime reduction, the economy, MP expenses, war, cash for honours, NHS dentistry, torture or anything for that matter...and that makes me mad!

Full report can be seen at: http://www.primaryreview.org.uk/index.html