by NickDavies (Author)
Over a period of 18 months, Davies researched for the Guardian a special series of stories investigating the condition of our state schools. They were published in three batches between September 1999 and July 2000, at lengths varying from 600 words to 7,000. The series attempted to go beneath the surface issues to expose the fundamentals - the undeclared but highly successful policy to kill off our comprehensive schools; the bogus analysis of school failure used by Ofsted; the fabrication of facts by Ofsted's chief inspector, Chris Woodhead; the gross dishonesty about funding by the Secretary of State; the link between the success of private schools and the failure of state schools; graphic stories about underfunding, about the lives of truants; an expose of how teachers have joined children in cheating to deliver the exam results which the government demands; some pointers to solutions, based on Dutch schools. The response was huge.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 208
Publisher: Vintage
Published: 02 Nov 2000
ISBN 10: 0099422166
ISBN 13: 9780099422167
Book Overview: Nick Davies was awarded Reporter of the Year in 2000. He was also the first winner of the Martha Gellhorn Award for investigative reporting.