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Pam Jarvis

Pam Jarvis

@drpam.bsky.social

9.3K followers 3.8K following 4K posts

#FBPE, Author, Journalist, Chartered Psychologist, Associate Fellow British Psychological Society, Historian, Educator. ‘On Time’ News and Fiction writing blog at:
https://ontimesorg.wordpress.com/

Education 48%

Psychology 24%

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Pam Jarvis @drpam.bsky.social · Oct 25

It’s 2033; climate change is progressing and world leaders are still arguing. 19 year old Dylan and his generation engage in angry, desperate, illegal protest. Their future looks grim… until a mysterious time traveller makes Dylan an intriguing offer. @yorkshirebylines.co.uk @bylinesnetwork.co.uk

Past time for eco: what net zero is, and why we need it

A novelist imagines a near-future world that fails to meet net zero, exploring climate collapse, loss and hope through future generations

yorkshirebylines.co.uk

Pam Jarvis @drpam.bsky.social · 13m

Exactly

Pam Jarvis @drpam.bsky.social · 14m

Rationalise the area over how many schools (or population of pupils) can be in a MAT and the area over which they can extend. There would have to be some shuffling around. Human beings evolved in small communities, children especially need this. Bronfronbrenner’s circles.

Pam Jarvis @drpam.bsky.social · 20m

Not all MATs are profiteers. But the temptation is there, and is too great for some. As such, for the benefit of all children, we need to change the system. It’s part of a much bigger Thatcherite privatisation culture, which includes the NHS, social care and utilities.

Reposted by Pam Jarvis

Jenny M @abbyaug.bsky.social · 22m

We need a system where every child matters - not a question of them fitting the system or having to look elsewhere or having to home educate. Every parent would put the happiness of their child at school before results (there are probably a few exceptions which is very sad for those children).

Pam Jarvis @drpam.bsky.social · 57m

The evidence…

School exclusions hit new record highs

Commenting on today’s Government release of the latest school exclusions and suspension data – Spring term 2023/24 – Beth Prescott, Education Lead at the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), said: Susie…

www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk

Pam Jarvis @drpam.bsky.social · 58m

They spend too long with the ‘products’ finding out if they’re OK rather than pushing them through the system at the lowest possible cost and the highest possible profit margin. The ones that can’t be ‘fixed’ within the system as it is environment are dropped discreetly on the way.

Pam Jarvis @drpam.bsky.social · 1h

This.

ditchster.bsky.social @ditchster.bsky.social · 5h

Hmmm….we don’t need privatisation to do that though do we ? Schools can work effectively in federations without the need for CEO’s/academies. Effective managers/HT’s are key. Of course the salary should reflect the responsibilities. Would you choose to work in a different sector if you earnt more ?

Pam Jarvis @drpam.bsky.social · 1h

This.

Pam Jarvis @drpam.bsky.social · 1h

Yes, I think the last people I heard put that argument forward were Michelle Mone and her husband.

Pam Jarvis @drpam.bsky.social · 1h

Exactly.

Pam Jarvis @drpam.bsky.social · 1h

Yes. And the cost to children caught in ruthless MAT internal politics goes way beyond anything that can be calculated on a spreadsheet.

Ghosting children: policy for children and families in Britain, 2010–2022

Some 100,000 ‘ghost’ children have disappeared from school since the end of lockdown. But how and why were they ‘ghosted’?

yorkshirebylines.co.uk

Pam Jarvis @drpam.bsky.social · 1h

You wouldn’t have to dismantle them. You could change the mode of operation to locally constructed boards and put individual HTs in charge of their own schools again. MATs would then become collegiate collaborations serving local communities rather than hierarchical businesses.

Pam Jarvis @drpam.bsky.social · 1h

I suspect your MAT is not one of the ones I am criticising. I didn’t mention teachers or trustees in terms of salaries. I referred to CEOs and business managers. And said clearly that I wasn’t talking about *all* MATs but the ones where the temptation to profiteer has not been resisted.

Pam Jarvis @drpam.bsky.social · 1h

As I said many years ago, you can’t educate children holistically in the system that was created to sell products like biscuits and soap powder. The biscuits and soap powder don’t matter in themselves, only the amount the vendor can make from them. Children are the only future we have, so…

Reposted by Pam Jarvis

Mary Wombat @littlemavis.bsky.social · 1h

And honestly, if you include a profit something else will have to give. Either the customers or employees will be getting a worse deal.
The efficiency argument only works if you assume the only people can be efficient are those motivated by profit.
Are altruistic people inefficient by definition?

Reposted by Pam Jarvis

ditchster.bsky.social @ditchster.bsky.social · 5h

Hmmm….we don’t need privatisation to do that though do we ? Schools can work effectively in federations without the need for CEO’s/academies. Effective managers/HT’s are key. Of course the salary should reflect the responsibilities. Would you choose to work in a different sector if you earnt more ?

Reposted by Pam Jarvis

Jenny M @abbyaug.bsky.social · 5h

What a defeatist attitude! We can’t find the right people so let’s have someone who puts their own pocket first!

Reposted by Pam Jarvis

Parkin and Tea @parkinandtea.bsky.social · 5h

But what is worse is that many are also fobbed off or painted as the family not fitting into the system as the problem.

How can you expect anyone with that experience behind them to trust an educational institution will listen to them and deliver support again?
3/

Reposted by Pam Jarvis

Parkin and Tea @parkinandtea.bsky.social · 5h

Yet if you haven't got the breathing room to create an environment with smaller classes or more time for play or creative expression or those 100s of things that are known to improve wellbeing, schools and families are stuck.

Families are leaving the system after years of lack of support. 2/

Reposted by Pam Jarvis

Sue Cowley @suecowley.bsky.social · 5h

In answer to Pam's question the information is publicly available. See below. As a trustee for almost 20 years I struggle with this list. Head teachers deserve decent pay for sure, but what's going on with all those £200k plus executive roles?

List of higher paid staff from the annual accounts for Harris MAT.

Reposted by Pam Jarvis

Jenny M @abbyaug.bsky.social · 5h

Then the wrong people are running it - it is never going to be the best for those in care if the motivation is profit for the individual. I doubt you get the best people if your prime concern is cutting costs for personal gain.

Reposted by Pam Jarvis

ditchster.bsky.social @ditchster.bsky.social · 15h

The impact has been incalculable & not in a good way sadly 😞

Pam Jarvis @drpam.bsky.social · 15h

Have @marshfamilysongs.bsky.social thought of doing a cover of ‘Smoke on the water,’ with a little tweak to ‘Shit in the water?’ Not sure if they do requests?!

Pam Jarvis @drpam.bsky.social · 15h

Yes. It’s such an awful principle. Children who are the least likely to have adults to argue their corner get the worst services& the highest profiteering made out of them. But that’s business, folks. What a world Thatcher created when she started privatising education, health, care and utilities.

Reposted by Pam Jarvis

ditchster.bsky.social @ditchster.bsky.social · 16h

Thank you ..its awful especially in case of those homes for young people with severe learning/physical disabilities. Too many under qualified staff, inadequate management & poor staff ratios.

Pam Jarvis @drpam.bsky.social · 16h

The public pay into a system that is maximising profits for the adults at the top of the management chain rather than focusing upon the quality of service for users. It’s a failed experiment. Maybe that’s what we should be telling Sid in 2025, eh? ‘Don’t do it.’

British Gas "Tell Sid" Advert Series (1986) - Ad #1

YouTube video by The Rezistance

Pam Jarvis @drpam.bsky.social · 16h

Yes.

Pam Jarvis @drpam.bsky.social · 16h

Exactly.

Pam Jarvis @drpam.bsky.social · 16h

Exactly.

ditchster.bsky.social @ditchster.bsky.social · 16h

Ultimately I don’t think schools, care homes,children’s homes should be profit focused. The focus should be the pupils,residents,children. My focus when teaching was doing the best for the children I taught. Good management enabled that.

Pam Jarvis @drpam.bsky.social · 16h

Yes, that’s absolutely the case. And it’s an ongoing tragedy.

The children’s residential care home costs scandal – how we got there and how to fix it

With fees continuing to soar, Shahid Naqvi takes a look at a 'dysfunctional' and 'unsustainable' market