Comments by "David Getling" (@DavidGetling) on "Education Secretary announces £500 million package for schools" video.

  1. Most schools don't need £500 million to do this, just some common sense! Last winter, on freezing cold days, I can remember walking past Enfield Grammar and Enfield County schools and seeing lots of windows wide open! I'm sure many others will have similar tales. Here's another way to save a bloody fortune, by cutting out the middle man. When I lived in New Zealand schools maintained a list of people who had expressed an interest in providing supply for absent teachers. Everyday someone at the school got up bright and early and phoned round those who were prepared to provide cover: tailoring that cover, if possible, to the absent teachers' subjects. By total contrast, in the UK schools go through agencies, and pay twice as much (no exaggeration) for their supply teachers. Here's a third example, again from New Zealand. In New Zealand the government supplies a free website for schools to advertise their vacancies. In the UK schools spend a small fortune on private advertising. Before throwing away the taxpayers' money we should look at the truly massive savings that can so easily be made!
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