Sunday, November 27, 2005

Sent to Manchester

Although the article doesn't mention it, I couldn't help wondering if Government plans to merge The Commission for Racial Equality into a Manchester-based equality body, which will also contain the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Disability Rights Commission were not unconnected with chair Trevor Phillips' outspoken criticism of new Labour's pro-segregation agenda. I've got to say, I had always had Phillips down as an arch-Blairite until he got this job. Hell hath no fury, eh?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

No they're not and Mr Phillips is in fact a New Labour (for which read right of centre) toady - the apparent critique of their alleged pro-segregation agenda (- which in fact doesn't exist and is just a fantasy from the fevered imagination of islamophobes) was simply a well-spun policy float designed as usual with new Labour to play to the agenda of the right - remember it was said to an audience of Tories at the Tory Conference. The irony in this case was that the policy being floated was the one already being practised! It was the equivalent of someone leaking the idea of Sure Start 5 years after it started.

Old habits die hard and Philips has yet to learn trhat one consisitent message is better than trying to tell everyone what they want to hear and coming over as a lying b*stard like his boss Mr Blair.

Of course same applies for the right - note ludicrous fantasy discussions about a curricula for the under-fives when all that the new legislation tries to do is set reasonable standards for nurseries.

Furthermore OFSTED inspection for nurseries already exists and indeed many parents use often very technically writen and sometimes out of date OFSTED reports available online to choose nurseries. A simple framework for assessment of such institutions would be a major step forward.

The stifling of diversity in such areas would be unfortunate - though given that Montessori schools survive now this seems unlikely.