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1/6. A short thread on education comms because DFE published new information & instructions in the last couple of days: a report about the SAGE modelling on schools (Saturday) and instructions/advice on nursery, school and college opening (Sunday)
2/6. It's the 3rd time in 8 weeks that DFE education info has come out on a weekend. Pre-crisis there were DFE conventions about only publishing during working time / school days. I'm sure some people think that's an old fashioned approach in a 24/7/365 always-on world
3/6. But there's a good reason for ministers and officials to think more about their audience. DFE instructions & advice need to be interpreted and implemented by heads & governors in 23,000 schools, by their equivalents in 244 colleges, by 160 councils and by many others
4/6. English education system is big and complicated. It's good for those at the top to communicate directly with 10+ million parents, pupils and students but it's works better if all those expected to interpret & implement are at work. Like it or not, they take leave...
5/6. .. and make better decisions in the working week because they do take leave. Meanwhile there's a risk DFE's weekend messages and Sunday publications get misinterpreted, raise expectations or don't get lost (with no-one noticing)
6/6. It's not a sensible way to communicate. Hopefully, at some point, the old conventions about thinking about the audience will return to DFE
