Diello Posted March 5, 2008 Posted March 5, 2008 This weeks Computing - "The Lure of the Public Sector: the advantages for the IT professional of working in education". Quote: "BSF programme is providing many opportunities for innovation in the education sector." Since an IT professional in a school will be killed off by BSF, as will innovation... oxymoron me thinks... lack of journalistic investigation anyone... http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/analysis/2210507/lure-public-sector-3835357
broc Posted March 5, 2008 Posted March 5, 2008 Perhaps all the Edugeek members affected by BSF should reply to the article, they have after all helpfully supplied a link for feedback
Diello Posted March 5, 2008 Author Posted March 5, 2008 I've submitted a nice little comment, shame it has to be "moderated"...
MK-2 Posted March 5, 2008 Posted March 5, 2008 Perhaps all the Edugeek members affected by BSF should reply to the article, they have after all helpfully supplied a link for feedback Unfortunately after seeing the laughable presentations given to us by BSF members on friday I'm now under the opinion of: The avalanche has started, it's too late for us pebbles to vote We could all leave feedback on that site, it won't change BSF ideas, it won't change a thing. We'll just all be seen as being negative (as most teachers here see me and my boss for pointing out failing BSF ideas in IT)
Diello Posted March 5, 2008 Author Posted March 5, 2008 A case for Abigail's Oath... which I shall be following when the c**p hits the fan over BSF... I am hired because I know what I am doing, not because I will do whatever I am told is a good idea. This might cost me bonuses, raises, promotions, and may even label me as "undesirable" by places I don't want to work at anyway, but I don't care. I will not compromise my own principles and judgement without putting up a fight. Of course, I won't always win, and I will sometimes be forced to do things I don't agree with, but if I am my objections will be known, and if I am shown to be right and problems later develop, I will shout "I told you so!" repeatedly, laugh hysterically, and do a small dance or jig as appropriate to my heritage.
powdarrmonkey Posted March 5, 2008 Posted March 5, 2008 @broc I just have, but it has to be moderated
tech_guy Posted March 5, 2008 Posted March 5, 2008 I've posted a comment too but I don't think they'll post it as I called the journalist who wrote the article a muppet....
PEO Posted March 5, 2008 Posted March 5, 2008 what if we start a website up that brings all these issues forward. a website totally dedicated to getting our word out about how we feel about bsf
Grommit Posted March 5, 2008 Posted March 5, 2008 I just contacted Computing .net and they have a Magazine as well as a "online" section... Spoke to the Editor of Computing and he knows nothing about the BSF or what destructive impact it wil have on ICT In-House community, inovation, job losses and general stagnation of ICTand massive costs that the BSF ICT would bring.. Or that Outsourcing is being FORCED onto schools He's intrested in doing an article.. so if anyone wants to write to him on how BSF is not a good thing for Schools with good ICT Staff and infrastructure in place or that all the secondary schools in the UK will belong to the big 4 and ICT technicians will just be drones.. email him on [email protected]
broc Posted March 5, 2008 Posted March 5, 2008 I just contacted Computing .net and they have a Magazine as well as a "online" section... Spoke to the Editor of Computing and he knows nothing about the BSF or what destructive impact it wil have on ICT In-House community, inovation, job losses and general stagnation of ICTand massive costs that the BSF ICT would bring.. Or that Outsourcing is being FORCED onto schools He's intrested in doing an article.. so if anyone wants to write to him on how BSF is not a good thing for Schools with good ICT Staff and infrastructure in place or that all the secondary schools in the UK will belong to the big 4 and ICT technicians will just be drones.. email him on [email protected] Cry Havoc! And let slip the dogs of war!
Deaks Posted March 5, 2008 Posted March 5, 2008 Cry Havoc! And let slip the dogs of war! Geek! That's a quote from Star Trek!
broc Posted March 5, 2008 Posted March 5, 2008 Geek! That's a quote from Star Trek! That's funny, I thought it was William Shakespeare
Deaks Posted March 5, 2008 Posted March 5, 2008 That's funny, I thought it was William Shakespeare Please note my original
broc Posted March 5, 2008 Posted March 5, 2008 (edited) Beam me up Scotty...... Right at this minute we have BSF ICT 'experts' from one of the potential bidders in my school meeting our SMT. I have been told I am not required to attend the meeting unless it gets too technical. I think it's because they are afraid I will pick too many holes in their proposals Edited March 5, 2008 by broc
Grommit Posted March 5, 2008 Posted March 5, 2008 Beam me up Scotty...... Right at this minute we have BSF ICT 'experts' from one of the potential bidders in my school meeting our SMT. I have been told I am not required to attend the meeting unless it gets too technical. I think it's because they are afraid I will pick too many holes in their proposals Whats happening is that they see you as an obstacle so you are being sidelined.... remember .. in the very near future you will have even less input to the running of IT in the school...
tech_guy Posted March 5, 2008 Posted March 5, 2008 I wish they'd beam the whole of BSF up into some god forsaken universe where they forever have to fight stubborn Klingons around Uranus......
broc Posted March 5, 2008 Posted March 5, 2008 Whats happening is that they see you as an obstacle so you are being sidelined.... remember .. in the very near future you will have even less input to the running of IT in the school... Oh I know that I have had a few battles with so called experts since the very start of BSF. Having worked in ICT almost as long as Babbage I have seen it all before... One of the things they asked for at ridiculously short notice was a full inventory of all our hardware and software to be emailed to them at the end of last week so that they could have a more meaningful meeting with SMT. Now, without being rude to our leadership team, I doubt they would appreciate the finer points of layer 2/3 switches, fibre backbones, laptop & desktop specs or the 1001 different application packages that seem to be installed everywhere so I thought the least I could do was bring along the audit report to the meeting & help them review it. Shame I wasn't invited to attend .....
torledo Posted March 5, 2008 Posted March 5, 2008 Oh I know that I have had a few battles with so called experts since the very start of BSF. Having worked in ICT almost as long as Babbage I have seen it all before... One of the things they asked for at ridiculously short notice was a full inventory of all our hardware and software to be emailed to them at the end of last week so that they could have a more meaningful meeting with SMT. Now, without being rude to our leadership team, I doubt they would appreciate the finer points of layer 2/3 switches, fibre backbones, laptop & desktop specs or the 1001 different application packages that seem to be installed everywhere so I thought the least I could do was bring along the audit report to the meeting & help them review it. Shame I wasn't invited to attend ..... I know what you mean, i've given up categorising switches, firewalls, routers just describe it all as 'network' with the model no......SMT would't know an IPS from a VPN so why should i bother... i know i'd feel well put out if so-called experts were called in to redesign what i would consider my backyard. I've already spent the last few years redressing the propensity for SMT to get outside contractors to do most projects and even straightforward tasks that should be the domain of in-house IT....if there were a risk of going back to my role being a spare part, i'd look to move on.
GrumbleDook Posted March 5, 2008 Posted March 5, 2008 (edited) I will be posting up the following in the morning but thought I would get comments from here first. --------------- People who know me understand that I sit on the fence about BSF as I can see that many schools will benefit from raising the baseline of IT facilities. However, it is not all roses... far from it, and to talk about BSF and innovation in the same sentence is seriously misleading. Fact one - Each BSF contract is different. The possible template used as part of the business plan is flawed as pretty much all LAs don't use it as a template, but stick to it rigidly to ensure that it goes through all the red tape. This means that Local Authorities give up their flexibility at this point. Fact two - Each contract is the result of prolonged stages of negotiation. However, to make a difference you have to be in from the start and individual schools often get involved too late to make a difference to what provision they get as part of the contract. This means that any innovative work that the school wants to do will be stifled as it does not meet the standard build ... and doing things outside of the standard build will incur additional costs and any proposed cost savings due to group procurement and delivery are likely to disappear, if not actually cost more in the long run. Fact three - the staff in schools who are liable to be innovative are likely to be gone, reduced in stature and/or with no ability to make significant impact on how IT impacts what goes on in the classroom. How IT will be used really needs to be decided by each individual school, and working with the existing support staff is likely to be key to this. Having a standard build that is not a raised baseline, but a limiting bar will reduce the efficiency of support as the change process will slow innovation. "Can I try this piece of new software?" Sorry ... you will have to call the central helpdesk and request the change ... it will take about 2 days to get an answer! Fact four - there is no guarantee that the staff will be employed by the school, by the Local Authority or that there will still be the same number of staff supporting IT. In all likelihood existing staff will be TUPEd across, moved around and some will go. On one side, those with the right skills *will* rise to the top, get promotions to team leaders, have better training and more opportunities, but these sort of places are limited and will also take the real experts and innovators out of the schools ... and so we lose more chances to innovate. Instead we will end up with support technicians who just unbox hardware, plug it in, run a basic install script that does it all for them and then go off to change a toner. No input into the long term planning of IT at the school, not involved with the implementation of any policies or procedures, and likely to be seriously de-skilled. No ... BSF and innovation are difficult to shoe horn into the same sentence in a positive manner and only time will tell how it works out. I will still sit on the fence as I am optimistic about some aspects of it (BSF) and will do what I can to ensure that support staff in schools have their chance to make a difference, but the realists out there know that we need to see the successes and mistakes from the first few waves before it will be fixed, by which point hundreds of professionals will have left schools to work in the private sector and skills will be lost from schools. Edited March 6, 2008 by GrumbleDook typos fixed - thanks Beeswax :-) 1
kingswood Posted March 6, 2008 Posted March 6, 2008 Sounds good Tony. I disagree about the need to sit on the fence- I think recent reports about the negative effects of BSF and the results of that initiative on this very forum can be seen by all. I really can't find it in me to see what good "educational" difference BSF makes to schools that other investments wouldn't- without the need to interfere with in-house ICT support structures, staffing, or individual flexibility and innovation within the school. But that's just my opinion. Other than that, like I said, sounds good! Paul
ilisle Posted March 6, 2008 Posted March 6, 2008 Oh the irony, I've just tried to access the BSF website and it appears to be down :-) Also found this :-D
GrumbleDook Posted March 6, 2008 Posted March 6, 2008 Sounds good Tony. I disagree about the need to sit on the fence- I think recent reports about the negative effects of BSF and the results of that initiative on this very forum can be seen by all. I really can't find it in me to see what good "educational" difference BSF makes to schools that other investments wouldn't- without the need to interfere with in-house ICT support structures, staffing, or individual flexibility and innovation within the school. But that's just my opinion. Other than that, like I said, sounds good! Paul Sitting on the fence is a personal preference ... and I know that many do not agree with me one it ... ok, most don't agree with me on it. It is one of those things. I wanted to include that statement though to show that even someone like me who sits on the fence cannot avoid the facts below, all of which raise concerns.
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