Press Release
John Bercow's report
Tuesday, July 8 2008
Commenting on the review of speech and language services by John Bercow MP, Christine Blower, Acting General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, Europe’s largest teaching union said;
“While I welcome the results of John Bercow’s review, they stand in sharp contrast with his own party’s and the Government’s obsession with synthetic phonics.
“Teachers have consistently argued that speaking and listening as well as phonics should be part of a range of strategies to tackle children’s early learning needs.
“Instead, the curriculum was recently revised to accommodate a politicised obsession with phonics while downplaying the importance of speaking and listening.
“Being able to communicate confidently is the bedrock of a child’s ability to become a successful independent learner.
“The fact that John Bercow felt he had to recommend that speech and language should be part of the National Curriculum is a serious indictment of a neglect of these vital skills. Teachers using their own professional judgement have always known this.”
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