The Political and the Professional in Education: An unnecessary conflict?

In England education is high on the political agenda. The government's public pronouncements, however, have done little to lift teachers' morale at a time when requests for early retirement are rising and recruitment to the profession is falling. In this article we argue that the current malaise has two main causes: Ministers' failure to understand the psychology of teachers; and the unwillingness of the numerous Teachers' Associations to rise above their historical differences and unite in a single structure. If the commonly held goal of raising standards is to be achieved, there is an urgent need to improve relations between those charged by the electorate to provide political leadership in education and those whose role it is to implement policies-and without whose support the most inspiring leadership will come to nought.