Children's Commissioners

The Children's Commissioner - frankly a terrifying combination of words and what would it mean to a child? - for Scotland is a chap called Tam Baillie. He was chosen by children.

"Since the Commissioner works for young people, he was chosen by them through a series of interviews. The interviews included questions about what he was going to do to help. There is also a website set up that enables young people to contact SCCYP."

(From Wikipedia)

Good idea since he was going to represent their views. Let the children choose.

Who chose Maggie Atkinson, the Children's Commissioner for England?

The ever-lovable Ed Balls.

"England's Children's Commissioner says she has had official confirmation that her £135,000-plus-a-year post will survive the Government-commissioned review into its value for money.
Maggie Atkinson is "extremely optimistic" about the way the independent inquiry is being carried out and says the Prime Minister's office "has already confirmed" that her post will not be abolished."

This is from http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6050874

So Maggie Atkinson believes that her role will continue.

What does this mean?

Well, I analyse it this way. Either Maggie is a fantasist who thinks that telling people her job isn't going in the abolition of overt quangos is the route to securing her cushy number for a few more years.

If she is mentally disturbed I think she is not eligible for such a role.

If she is telling the truth; however, we have proof that this government is promising reviews, carrying them out and then doing what they wanted to do in the first place. Just like the last government.

In either case, it is bad news.

In the first instance, we have a possibly delusional woman confronting children.

In the second case, this government is behaving exactly like the last government with promises to engage people and listen to what they say but, in the end, lying.

Tech does a wonderful job revisiting the charming Maggie Atkinson here:

http://freedomineducationunderthreat.blogspot.com/2010/07/maggie-maggie-maggie-out-out-out.html

Can't we do better than these dreadful people?

Anyone could do better. Anyone with moral standards that is.