Recent events would appear to suggest that the UK Education Secretary, Michael Gove is a man with more enemies than your average Tory Politician! It would seem his enemies expand beyond teachers towards a Children's Author and even the Church of England! Is it any wonder a Michael Gove Vodoo Pincushion is on the market?
Lets remember though that this is a man who wants re-sit exam results to be excluded from official league tables. Even if such a move should eventually result in his discredited league tables being disbanded, the main concern must be that it undermines the efforts of so many good schools to give students the best chance in life. It is important to remember that the best chance for a young student sometimes requires that student to be given as many opportunities as possible!
If the events of the last few weeks are anything to go by, it would appear that Gove can embrace controversy equally on educational matters as he can on matters of distasteful press coverage. That said his defence of the Daily Mail over it's controversial coverage of Labour Party Leader Ed Milliband's late father's feelings towards Britain, could be motivated by self interest. This is a self interest that is possibly explained by the fact that his spouse is of course a Daily Mail Columnist.
I spent Friday evening catching up with some friends. Amongst these friends are a few teachers, all of whom at various social occasions have been particularly keen to express their views on the delightful Mr Gove! One common theme that always comes up is his lack of willing to engage with the people who actually work in Education. This theme is possibly backed up by recent speculation that Gove instead prefers to engage with those who say a child's educational performance is linked more to genetics than teaching! This week's Cabinet re-shuffle also featured in our little catch up. One casualty of the re-shuffle was Michael. But sadly for my friends, the Michael in question was in fact Liberal Democrat Scottish Secretary, Michael Moore. My friends would dearly have loved it to have been Mickey Morris Dancer!
In reality that was not likely to happen, and this brings me onto why I refer to Gove as "Mickey Morris Dancer". A few days after the 2010 General Election, Mr Gove was being interviewed on a popular Sunday Morning Politics TV Programme against the backdrop of a Hung Parliament. On being asked if he would give up his seat in Cabinet to facilitate a coalition deal between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats, Gove answered that he would in a most decisive manner. I felt at the time that should Mickey miss the cut for the ConDem Cabinet, then he would have been most grateful to be offered the post of Minister for Morris Dancers! If only..
In reality that was not likely to happen, and this brings me onto why I refer to Gove as "Mickey Morris Dancer". A few days after the 2010 General Election, Mr Gove was being interviewed on a popular Sunday Morning Politics TV Programme against the backdrop of a Hung Parliament. On being asked if he would give up his seat in Cabinet to facilitate a coalition deal between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats, Gove answered that he would in a most decisive manner. I felt at the time that should Mickey miss the cut for the ConDem Cabinet, then he would have been most grateful to be offered the post of Minister for Morris Dancers! If only..
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