Politics and the Primary Teacher

Why is primary education so high on the political agenda, and so contentious?  Why should busy teachers trouble themselves with the politics of the work? This accessible introduction to one of the thorniest aspects of a primary teacher’s role aims to support your understanding of the constant changes in education policy, give you confidence to engage critically with current political debates, and consider how you might shape your practice accordingly.

Why is primary education so high on the political agenda, and so contentious?

Why is the performance of primary schools so often in the media spotlight?

Why should primary teachers trouble themselves with the politics of their work?

Politics and the Primary Teacher is an accessible introduction to some of the thorniest aspects of a primary teacher’s role. It aims to support your understanding of the constant changes in education policy, give you confidence to engage critically with current political debates, and consider how you might shape your response accordingly.

Including questions for reflection, and selected further reading and resources, it examines the complex interface between the work of a teacher and the world beyond the classroom walls. Key issues explored include:

• assessment, testing, league tables and national accountability measures
• the media’s impact in shaping both local and national views about education
• political implications of new policies such as academies and free schools
• conditions of work in the classroom and ‘workforce remodelling’
• the curriculum, its purposes and structure
• pedagogy and teaching methods
• education for citizenship, health and well-being.

Politics and the Primary Teacher is essential reading for all education professionals who want to think more deeply about primary education, what it offers, and how children, families and communities are served by the primary school.