Interesting article here in today’s TES about teachers voicing their opposition to national academisation of all state schools, with the additional news that shadow education secretary Lucy Powell will be addressing this issue: I look forward to a cogent and convincing challenge from Labour. I can’t say I do so with confidence, but it is necessary and I will be hopeful of an articulation that can build on the clear public and professional desire for a challenge.

Of more concern in this article is the response to the ‘protests’ against the White Paper announcement on academisation from the DfE. It is a TES quote, but there is no reason to doubt, and the other factor that one cannot doubt is how the unattributed spokesperson has to be a DfE ‘drafter’, someone who, in my experience, knows and understands absolutely nothing about education, but is employed to express and defend government policy against anyone who questions or challenges this. It is a simple but repugnant form of regurgitation for two reasons: it is a meaningless expectorant, and it is insulting to those who do question and challenge from a base of actual experience and understanding.

I have written about these drafters and their responses to me here and here.