Ofsted - Flawed, wasterful, failing

Ofsted is facing a crisis in public confidence as it comes under a series of attacks on its authority this week, with the watchdog accused of being "flawed, wasteful and failing".  Its new inspection regime is accused of forcing social work departments to focus on passing inspections instead of looking after children, giving good schools mediocre ratings on routine technical matters – such as fences not being high enough – and more claims that sub-contracted inspectors are not fit for the job.  The Guardian.

I guess this had to come out eventually.

Instead of being the nasty, oppressive and authoritarian government BULLY, Ofsted needs to reinvent itself as a proper staff development organisation, providing SUPPORT and TRAINING to schools which require it.   I know it can be done because I have seen it done in other countries.

But will it? The arrogance of government and (even more so) petty bureaucrats knows no bounds.

Rowan Williams to meet Pope Benedict

The Arcbishop of Canterbury is to meet Pope Benedict to discuss the Catholic offer to accept Anglicans disaffected by issues like female and gay bishops and same sex unions.

When it comes to joining a church I think I would rather go with the women clergy than a church renowned for its acceptance (in terms of coverups at the cost of a few Hail Mary's) of large scale buggery of choir boys by  priests.

BBC News.

Brown defends Afghanistan policy

Gordon Brown is due to mount a robust defence of Britain's military policy in Afghanistan by warning al-Qaeda is the biggest threat to UK national security.  BBC News.

I do not agree. I think Labour - with Blair's arrogant, warmongering foreign policy - is our biggest threat. Bring our troops back now and patch up the divide that exists here at home.

Christopher Booker on why we will lose in Afghanistan.

Private security....

Former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair has also said there should be no role for the private sector in Britain's law enforcement.  BBC News.

There are other countries where this kind of thing is happening, including South Africa which had more private policemen than real ones in 2006.  There is concern about some of these as well, given that they are paramilitary forces, prone to taking ther law into their own hands.

However, the bottom line is that this kind of organisation can only exist where normal policing does not work, as seems to be increasingly the case in the UK where Plod spends too much time sitting on his butt filling out forms (online these days) and raising stealth taxes by targetting motorists doing 36 mph in a 30 mph zone. I would not be interested in signing up for a service like this but am lucky to live in a secure area. I have had only one incident of theft in 7 years, which was my own fault in that I forgot to lock my car.

BBC executive greed

Mark Thompson, the Director General, who receives an overall pay package of £834,000 a year, billed £648 to stay in a five-star hotel in Las Vegas, and made 63 claims – some as little as 70p – for parking meter fees. 

After massive disclosures about politicians and their dubious expense claims, it is now the chance of top executives at the BEEB to enjoy public displeasure. Personally, I find it just about impossible to believe that someone earning £834 000 a year would stoop to claiming 70p for parking. I mean... just how GREEDY can you be?

I am now beginning to understand those who are opposed to paying the TV licence. Perhaps government will do us a favour by abolishing the fee in revenge for the Beebs willingness (and joy) to embarrass them.

I can't wait for revelations about banker's expense claims, and while we are about it, the claims of generously paid university VCs.