UK educator warns of Big Brother in the classroom

The new president of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) in the United Kingdom will warn of an impending Orwellian education system at the first day of the union’s annual conference in Torquay today (March 18, 2008). Targets, testing, league tables, inspections, and increasing use of camera surveillance in classrooms could lead to “Big Brother watching over schools in the next five years,” Julia Neal will tell delegates.

“Teachers will talk about surveillance cameras in classrooms, over-zealous observation of their teaching,” Neal will say. “We will hear about teachers delivering a prescriptive curriculum and teaching to the tests in order to secure a good place in the league tables for their schools.

“It’s time for a rethink by the government on what constitutes real success for pupils before the push for better results, increased monitoring, and more measurements means young people can only function in a society which has been so spoon-fed that it cannot think for itself and cannot challenge and grow in the future.” Read more in The Guardian online.