Live’s politics editor, Omar Shahid, looks at how the Education Secretary, Michael Gove is shaping the lives of many youths in this country.
Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Education – is a radical and controversial figure in the government. Loathed by many teachers, he is the darling of the Conservative right who believe he is centralising power in the education system and providing greater freedom to many schools and academies.
Disliked by many teachers, he may soon become unpopular amongst students, too. He is spearheading plans for longer school days and shorter holidays. The move would see pupils remain in school between 7.30am to 5.30pm, attend on Saturdays and remain in formal education for another two weeks a year.
Asked how this would affect teachers, he said: “If you love your job then there is, I think, absolutely nothing to complain about in making sure you have more of a chance to do it well.” 2011 saw many teachers vent their dissatisfaction, in the form of protests, over low wages but Gove believes they are “wrong” to strike and they must understand that there isn’t a “pot of gold” lying around.
A journalist by profession, working for The Times and the BBC, he has fought for “greater personal freedom, a tougher line on crime, a more dynamic economy, a cleaner environment, stronger defence and a better deal for hard-pressed families,” according to his official website.
The Education Secretary has been an influential figure in the government since the 2010 General election. He reportedly met Rupert Murdoch on several occasions – more than any other Minister – before the demise of the News of the World newspaper in July 2011 and, also, encouraged his good friend “Dave” to run for Tory leadership in 2005.
He is one of the most bold and outspoken of Tory politicians, he said: “Change is coming. And to those who want to get in the way I have just two words: Hands off.” He also believes that having a membership with extreme political parties like the BNP is not “compatible” with being a teacher.
Gove intends to reform schools and believes the standard of education under the Labour government wasn’t good enough. He said: “It is a worry to me that so many schools are still judged as ‘outstanding’ overall when they have not achieved an ‘outstanding’ in teaching and learning.”
There are many things Gove wants to reform in the education system, during the 2012 Conservative Party Conference he said the school curriculum would be reconstructed. He believes it’s becoming “easier” to gain an A at A-level or GCSE than it used to be and exams need to be “tougher”.
The Education Secretary will be answering questions posed to him on Twitter with the hashtag #AskGove. Questions can be submitted by 11:00 on Friday 27 January.
![Kat Von D Interview with Eve-Yasmine [Live Meets]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/yYgOqzy_6cw/default.jpg)
![Cover Drive Interview [Cooking With]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YaN_41hnsgo/default.jpg)
![Wake Up Call/Youth Contracts/Cher Lloyd vs. Cheryl - [Stephen's Weekly News Munch]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/maOkoCdeDno/default.jpg)
