Whilst the teaching unions have been critical of the Green Paper proposals, they have facilitated its introduction by supporting the appraisal of teachers on the proviso that it would be used for professional development. The measures will only compound the problems that Labour claims to be addressing. Teachers in inner-city areas will largely remain at the end of the pay scale, as lower test results correlate with areas of high unemployment and poverty. The gap in educational provision between children in poorer families and their better off counterparts will also widen. The introduction of the national curriculum and the publication of league tables of test and examination results have already had this result.
Underfunded schools are unable to compensate for the effects of poverty on education achievement.
In this way the government can avoid any responsibility for addressing the social and cultural problems that play a major role in every child's development. Labour's classrooms will only exacerbate inequalities, further demoralise teachers and deprive millions of young people of the education that they need. The WSWS invites your comments. Please send e-mail .