New: thousands of cases of school ‘scandal’ have been documented by the media in past six years, researcher finds. https://www.educationuncovered.co.uk/news/147221/thousands-of-cases-of-school-scandal-have-been-documented-by-the-media-in-past-six-years-researcher-finds.thtml Prof Pat Thomson writes of having kept a record of 3,800 articles, in a new book on corruption in English education.

Thomson writes of how English education policy over past 30 years has had a “corrupting” effect on our schools, even though vast majority of those working within them do so ethically. Mentions results gaming, financial fraud, related party contracts... https://www.educationuncovered.co.uk/news/147221/thousands-of-cases-of-school-scandal-have-been-documented-by-the-media-in-past-six-years-researcher-finds.thtml

The book stands to shed fresh light on whether school scandals reflect a “few bad apples”, or something more systemic. She argues that, notwithstanding fact that most don’t engage in bad practice, it’s the latter. Powerful argument. https://www.educationuncovered.co.uk/news/147221/thousands-of-cases-of-school-scandal-have-been-documented-by-the-media-in-past-six-years-researcher-finds.thtml

This book questions the drive, perhaps currently most fully realised thru academies scheme but in evidence before, to make schools more “businesslike”, leading to eg high pay for “CEOs”. But raises other questions re what Thomson and others describe as neoliberal schools reform.

Book highlights ASCL’s Ethical Leadership Commission's need to state that “the curriculum needs to be suited to the needs of the children, and not the school”+ results “gaming is always wrong”. School leaders from other countries would be “startled” that such statements needed.