Accountability, scapegoating and encouraging rebellious joys: Teaching in England

Abstract This article suggests that the rise in referrals for children seen as having specific educational needs in England is the inevitable outcome of a system with ever‐rising expectations and accountability. It suggests two key reasons for this. The first is that the increased pressures upon teachers lead to them needing a ‘scapegoat’ to point the finger at when they fail to meet those unreasonable expectations. The child being ‘unable to perform’ is the last get‐out clause available to them. The second is that the toxicity created by the mounting pressure on teachers significantly impacts teacher well‐being. Tired, fraught and harried teachers are not in a position to offer a safe and secure learning environment for the children that they teach. The optimal conditions for the successful performance of both teacher and child—based upon potential, unconditional positive regard and care—have been eroded from the heart of education. Children are not failing; the system is failing them. In light of this, this article encourages all educators to rebelliously see the positive potential of all the children they work with and to be strengthened by those ‘moments of light’ that can be celebrated in even the smallest steps taken towards positive development.