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1. THE FUTURE OF TEACHING:
PROFESSIONALISM, PARTNERSHIPS AND
PRIVATISATION
IONAD OIDEACHAIS MHAIGH EO
MAYO EDUCATION CENTRE, CO. MAYO, REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
9TH JULY 2012.
Howard Stevenson
University of Lincoln
hstevenson@lincoln.ac.uk
#reclaimteaching

2. A lecture dedicated to the memory and
legacy of Professor Brian Simon
(University of Leicester)
My journey started here

3. No secure profession has a
session on whether it is a
profession.
Walter Bennis, MIT quoted in Crook (2008:10)

4. Teacher The ‘good’
professionalism teacher
What is
Teachers’ work
education for?
Important to recognise how discourses are shaped by global and local factors.

5. Teaching as profession? – trait theory
• Professional knowledge and expertise
• Commitment to professional learning
• Education of the profession by the profession
• Self-regulating
• ‘Trust’
• Commitment to public service
Many useful sources – see Johnson (1972), Larson (1977).

6. Teaching as a labour process . . .
Teachers are workers, teaching is work, and the
school is a workplace. (Connell, 1985:69)
A focus on . . .
The task of teaching – what do teachers do?
The division of labour – who does
what?Autonomy and control – who decides who
does what and how is performance ensured?
See also Ozga and Lawn (1981), Smyth (2001) , Reid (2003), Ingersoll (2003), Carter
and Stevenson (2012).

7. Teaching is a labour process without an object. At
best it has an object so intangible – the minds of
the kids, of their capacity to learn – that it cannot
be specified in any but vague and metaphorical
ways. A great deal of work is done in schools, day
in and day out, but this work does not produce
any things. Nor does its, like other white collar
work, produce visible and quantifiable effects – so
many pensions paid, so many dollars turned over,
so many patients cured. The ‘outcomes of
teaching’, to use the jargon of educational
research, are notoriously difficult to measure.
(Connell, 1985:70)

8. Teacher professionalism and teacher/state
relations – an historical perspective
1. Post-war welfarism and the social democratic
settlement
2. New Right critique and the attack on ‘producer
capture’
3. Social partnership and the New (Re-)Modelled Army
4. Privatisation and the new educational marketplace
Stevenson (2009)

9. Post-war partnership and the
social democratic settlement
Central Local
State Government
Teachers &
Teacher Unions
‘a national system . . .locally administered.’

10. Post-war Partnership
- the basis of the settlement
• Professional Issues
– Curriculum Professional
– Pedagogy Autonomy
‘the golden age of teacher (non)-control
of the curriculum’ – Lawton (1980:22)
• Industrial Issues
– Pay Collective
Bargaining
– Conditions of service

11. I have heard it said that the existence in this
country of 146 strong vigorous LEAs safeguards
democracy and lessens the risk of dictatorship. No
doubt this is true but an even greater safeguard is
the existence of a quarter of a million teachers
who are free to decide what should be taught and
how it should be taught.
(Ron Gould, NUT General Secretary, 1954)
This quote and next slide from . . . Gerald Grace, ‘Teachers and the State in
Britain: A Changing Relation’, in Teachers: The Culture and Politics of Work,
ed. M. Lawn and G. Grace (Lewes, UK: Falmer Press, 1987)

12. Professionalism and professional autonomy
The freedom of teachers in their classrooms is a
strongly held professional value in England and Wales.
It has always been a source of pride to the profession
and a very proper one, that in this country the teacher
has the inalienable right to decide what to
teach and how to teach it.
The Schoolmaster (1960)

13. New Right critique and the attack on
‘producer capture’
Education has proved easier for the producers (teacher
and administrators) to capture than other industries,
partly because its shortcomings can be disguised by
jargon. The school with poor examination results can
claim that knowledgeable educationalists nowadays
hold ‘school spirit’ or ‘awareness’ more important.
Although the consumers (parents and children) demand
examination passes and other measureable
achievements from their schools, education producers
are able to argue that they, as ‘professionals’, know
better . . . .
Adam Smith Institute Omega Report (1980) (see also Black Papers)

14. New Right critique, ‘producer capture’ and
quasi-markets
1987 – abolition of collective bargaining
1988 – Education Reform Act
National Curriculum, standardised testing, Local
Management of Schools, opting-out
…a subtle set of linked measures are to be relied on to
have the desired effect – that is to push the whole
system towards a degree at least, of privatisation,
establishing a base which could be further exploited
later.
Simon (1987:13)

15. The principles of Scientific Management –
and the triumph of the ‘one best way’
1. Identification of the ‘one best way’ through scientific
analysis and design of work
• Work as ‘laws, rules, and even . . .mathematical formulae.’ (Taylor 1947:
90)
2. Identification features of the ideal worker – based on
approach as per (1) above
3. Locate ideal worker (1) and match to scientifically
designed task (2) - recruitment and division of labour
4. Link pay to productivity – reward and control

16. The New Labour narrative. . . .
The goal: economic
success in a global
economy
Economic success
. . . and test
requires educational
relentlessly
success
PISA is the global
Therefore . . .focus
measure of
on core subjects
education success

17. Social Partnership and the New
(Re)-Modelled Army
• Focus on ‘the core task of teaching and learning’
• New accountability regimes
– Professional Standards
– Performance Management
– Performance Pay
• Focus on CPD
• Social Partnership Stevenson et al. 2008

18. Government has attempted to standardise practice,
showing a lack of trust in the profession and a denial
of complexity. It conceptualises CPD as a
management tool to ensure good classroom practice,
and is seeking to embed it within the management
toolkit, including performance management, pay
progression and contract. Items of training are to be
imposed on teachers according only to immediate
corporate needs . . .
ATL (2005: 3)

19. The CPD you are driven to do by your headteacher,
particularly if you have a headteacher like mine, is
stultifyingly boring and doesn’t give me any new skills at all.
Its deadly . . .and its tedious . . .and its ‘let’s jump through a
few more hoops’, and if I don’t do it right I’ll get hit with a big
stick. It is horrible.
But I like learning. I enjoy learning. I need that stimulus.
Union Learning Representative
quoted in Stevenson (2012a)

20. Collective Social Partnership
Bargaining
Industrial relations paradigm Pluralist Unitarist
Bargaining typology Distributive Integrative
Bargaining scope Narrow Broad
Negotiation/consultation Separate Combined
Bargaining schedule Closed/cyclical Open/on-going
Outcomes Negotiated agreement Consensual agreement
Intra-organisational bargaining Acknowledged/explicit Tacit/implicit
Constitution Formal Informal
Employee coverage Teachers Whole staff
Bargaining level Centralised Centralised
Conflict resolution Dispute (industrial Exit (voluntary or
action) forced)
Stevenson (2012b – in press)

21. Views from inside the Social Partnership . . .
I don’t think any of us honestly anticipated when we signed the National
Agreement that what we would become is a branch of the DfES. But in many
ways we are. [1].
The fact is we’re talking about incorporation and only a fool would try to deny it.
I mean that, but it’s a calculated acceptance from the union point of view. From
my point of view, on the part of [union] it’s a calculated acceptance of
incorporation because of the benefits it brings. If the disadvantages ever got to
outweigh the advantages then we would walk away. [2]
. . . it takes quite a bit of DfES resource to keep it going—but bloody hell,
don’t they get a lot out of it . . . They say the TDA is the delivery arm of
the DFES, actually we’re the bloody delivery arm. We bust a gut. [3]
It’s consenus by attrition . . . [4]
In Carter et al. (2010) – also reviewed here

22. New Labour . . . New professional . . .
The story of an outstanding/very
good/good/satisfactory [delete as appropriate]
teacher . . . in her own words
Source: research interview 2007 (reported in Carter et al. (2010)

23. On workforce reform . . .
If I talk about how my job has got easier in the various
ways. Yes, I have more non-contacts. This year I have
more non-contacts than I did last year. I had 8 non-
contacts - I have more this year. But how do you use
them? If I take my role as a subject leader, what am I
supposed to do in those non-contacts? In those non-
contacts I’m supposed to be doing the scrutiny of work,
I’m supposed to be doing lesson observation, also
there’s my own work to do. So although it looks like I
have more, each one is quite full.

24. On leading and managing . . .
Leading and managing are two totally different things and
also the nature of my job is, I mean I’m much better on
statistics now and data than I ever was, that’s another
thing that I had to teach myself to do. It particularly comes
into Performance Management, you know, value added.
So prior to it, I work it all out for them [staff] and talk
about where their value added is and the positive and the
negative and you have to be confident when you’re talking
to them, but also make them feel at ease with what
they’re doing - you just manage it in an hour.

25. Now that’s because they [staff] know that they’re being measured
by it . . .
it’s that data that might be whether they go through [pay
progression] or not. They’re not easy conversations or hours to
have with people. . .
Their careers, their livelihood, but most importantly the money
that they earn, could be down to you and I didn’t go into it with
that. I’m not personnel trained as far as that is concerned.
it’s up to you whether they [staff] go on to the next [pay] threshold
. . . it’s a pay thing and . . . you have these conversations with
people which are about their targets and the first objective is
‘what target you’re going to set’. People are obviously upset
because their statistics are affected by the students who are there.

26. On the students . . .
And you’re looking at the whole child and it’s all about
building that relationship which has been the ethos of
[this] school. Which is very hard to do when I’m also
expected to be as a core Head of English to be able to
be looking at data, moving the department
forward, the school is measured on the English and
Maths scores. So I would actually say no, I’m a
satisfactory tutor. I think I’ve gone from being a good
tutor to a satisfactory one.

27. Now there are demands put on you about teaching your
subject. But my personal feeling is to be a good teacher you
have to have a relationship with these children and, and
they want it. They need it. I mean they don’t have to like you
but you have to have the respect, you have to have the time
to build the relationships with them.
. . . but maybe we don’t have the time to build those
relationships because statistics say, data says, target says,
the child becomes a number that you have to teach.
it’s all about the statistics, their data, their targets as opposed to
building the relationship with the child.’
. . . You need to be a good teacher, then it is not just the
number, it’s the whole child. But you have to juggle it.

28. You have relationships with people in your tutor group
and then you may teach them and there’s nothing
better than a tutor group and then you teach that
person in your tutor group. That’s a double whammy,
that’s great.
My role every week is to make contact, apart from that
just calling their name, about something, knowing
what’s going on because that’s how you move students
on, to make every single one of them feel that someone
notices them.

29. I had an issue - this is an example of an issue. I had some
Year 10 and 11 girls, make up, clothes, all of this, so I dealt
with it and I took them to one side to speak to them in
tutor time on the Thursday. And they reacted very, very
badly to what I said and all sorts of things. And I was quite
hurt by it. So what came out? I saw the parents - their
response was ‘They don’t feel you care about them any
more. You’re not there for them any more’. And so
relationships that I had built up, I’m not able to build them
up in the same way. And I’m not saying that they dislike
the person who takes them for tutor time but they actually
don’t feel comfortable because the nature of it is you build
a long relationship with these students and I, I know that’s
gone.

30. On herself . . .
I know if you had to grade me, as we do grade
each other now, I think I’m a, a good subject
leader and that has to be rated on the fact of
the percentages. The school might say I’m very
good - the Ofsted report said it’s ‘outstanding’,
the leadership, but to do that how can I be a
tutor? How can I give all that my tutor group
requires?

31. The Coalition narrative . . .
The goal: economic
success in a global
economy
Economic success
. . . and test
requires educational
relentlessly
success
PISA is the global
Therefore . . .focus
measure of
on core subjects
education success
Michael Gove in his own words here – my views here.

32. This White Paper signals a radical reform
of our schools. We have no choice but to
be this radical if our ambition is to be
world-class. The most successful
countries already combine a high status
teaching profession; high levels of
autonomy for schools; a comprehensive
and effective accountability system and a
strong sense of aspiration for all children,
whatever their background. Tweaking
things at the margins is not an option.
Reforms on this scale are absolutely
essential if our children are to get the
education they deserve.
Foreword pp4-5
Download it here

33. You can't have room for innovation and the pressure
for excellence without having some real discipline
and some fear on the part of the providers that things
may go wrong if they don't live up to the aims that
society as a whole is demanding of them.
Oliver Letwin
Speaking at KPMG headquarters, 2011
It’s a revolution . . . and it is happening now, right
beneath our feet
Local Authority Senior Officer interview (July 2012)

34. Privatisation and the new educational
marketplace . . . implications for teacher
professionalism
• Abandonment of Social Partnership
• Erosion of national pay and conditions of service
• New Professional Standards
• New Appraisal/Capability Procedures
• Expanded routes to QTS
• Teaching Schools
• Teach First
• De-regulation of requirements for QTS
• Free Schools

35. Working in Academyland
– where is the accountability now?
Read the full
story here

36. A ‘discourse of derision’ and
the ‘enemies of promise’ . . .
We know we are making progress when we hear the
opposition from vested interests - from those in trade unions
who put adults interests before children’s, from those in local
government who put protecting their power before fulfilling
children's potential, from those who have acquiesced in a
culture of low expectations who resist any form of
accountability for failure.
Michael Gove, 10th May 2012, Brighton College.
[teachers] too often make excuses for poor performance - it's
just too hard, the children are too difficult, the families are
too unsupportive, this job is far too stressful.
Michael Wilshaw, 10th May 2012, Brighton College.

37. There is no such thing as no alternative . . .
The culture of trust meant that
education authorities and political
leaders believe that
teachers, together with
principals, parents and their
communities, know how to provide
the best possible education for
their children and youth. Trust can
only flourish in an environment
that is built on
honesty, confidence, professionalis
m and good governance.
Sahlberg (2012: 130)
. . . or watch

38. The future of teaching - there are alternatives . . .
MORE: LESS:
• Personalisation • Standardisation
• Trust-based • Test-based
accountability accountability
• Collaboration • Competition
• Pedagogy • Technology
• Professionalism • Bureaucracy
Sahlberg (2012)

39. A new professionalism . . . ?
• Professional knowledge and expertise
• Commitment to professional learning
• Education of the profession by the profession
• Self-regulating
• ‘Trust’
• Commitment to public service
. . . or the Taylorisation of teaching?

40. The new school system . . . ?
• Narrow
• Utilitarian
• Divided
• Compliant
• Afraid
• Unambitious
• Joyless
• ....

41. Pessimism of the intellect . . . optimism of the will . . .
. . . connecting ideas with activism to #reclaimteaching
This slideshow downloadable at www.slideshare.net/howardstevenson
@hstevenson10

42. Variations of this presentation have been made
at . . .
• University of Glasgow Teacher Education Teachers’
Work Conference, 8th June 2012
• University of Leicester, Doctoral Study School, 30th
June 2012
Continue the debate via hstevenson@lincoln.ac.uk
I