Today, Sir Kevan Collins shed further light onhis vision for the future of the government’s Covid catch-upefforts.
Appearing at the Schools North East Curriculum Conference,the dedicated education recovery commissionerspoke candidly about the need to reinforce catch-up planswith “billions” in governmentfunding, whileavoiding a “top-down” approach.
He started with a speechbefore taking questions, as part of a panel led by Teseditor Jon Severs.
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Here’s what we learned:
1. Asking more of teachers comeswith a ‘significant price tag’
Sir Kevan said that teachers should not be asked “to do any more for no more” as part of the Covid catch-upeffort.
And the amount of funding dedicated to the recovery plan should be “in the billions”, he said.
2. Schools will ‘hopefully’ be able to pick their own tutors
The catch-up tsar saidschools should be givenmore control over Covid catch-up tutoring.
He wants to introduce a “third way into tutoring”, whereby schools would identify who they want to deliver the support.
3. Catch-up tsar will ‘say it like it is’
Sir Kevan said he has“nothing to lose”by speaking his mind at such a “profound moment”for the education system.
He added that part of his role as recovery commissioner was to “stop bad things happening or the wrong things happening, as well as encouraging people to do the right things”.
