By . James Chapman . Education Secretary Michael Gove dismissed claims state schools are 'amoral' as nonsense . A private schools boss has been condemned by Michael Gove for claiming state schools are turning out ‘amoral’ children. The . Education Secretary reacted with fury after Richard Walden, chair of . the Independent Schools Association, suggested many state school pupils . end up with no sense of right and wrong. Mr . Gove told the Daily Mail he was speaking ‘nonsense’ and said private . school heads increasingly fear their sector is threatened by . fast-improving state education. Mr . Walden claimed state schools are failing to provide pupils with a . ‘moral compass’ because teachers are concentrating on delivering better . academic results. Too many . state school staff operated in ‘a climate of fear’ which meant they . failed to provide children with an enriching education, he added. Fee-paying . schools devote more time to extra-curricular activities, a broad . curriculum and personal, social, health and economic development – . meaning their students were able to ‘distinguish the good from the bad . and the true from the false’. Mr . Walden, head of £6,867-a-year Castle House School in Shropshire, which . caters for two to 11-year-olds, made his provocative claims in a keynote . speech to fellow heads at his association’s annual conference in . Warwickshire. ‘Schools are . turning out too many amoral children because teachers cannot find the . time to teach the difference between right and wrong,’ he said. ‘It . seems that the only results that matter are those which have created . added value in terms of raising a pupil’s statistical level from one . stage to the next, and parents are increasingly buying in to this . notion.’ But Mr Gove . insisted: ‘This is nonsense. State schools are getting better in every . respect – from delivering a more rigorous education to ensuring children . leave school with the right values. ‘Only . a few weeks ago, the head of the independent King’s College School in . Wimbledon admitted state schools are improving so fast they are . increasingly becoming a threat to private schools. ‘When . I visit a school which gets great academic results it is always the . case that everything else about the school is also brilliant; the sport, . the community involvement, the best drama. Wasting talent, by telling . millions of pupils that academic success is not for them, would be truly . amoral.’ Richard Walden claimed state schools are failing to provide pupils with a ¿moral compass¿ because teachers are concentrating on delivering better academic results (file picture) The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) questioned the . values being instilled by private schools – claiming they had turned . out many pupils who had gone on to work in the City and helped cause the . financial crash. Russell . Hobby, general secretary of the NAHT, said: ‘I don't think there is . evidence to support an amoral generation emerging from our schools. In . many ways, the coming generation has higher standards than our own. Indeed, one has only to look at sectors with high proportions of . publicly-schooled people – like those who led us into the financial . crash – to doubt the truth of this proposition. ‘Values . are not just found in the curriculum but in the way you teach the . curriculum, in the behaviour policies and code of conduct, in the way . adults treat children and each other. Teachers in state schools would . love time for greater breadth and extra- curricular activity, but they . are teaching strong values nonetheless.’ A . Department for Education spokesman said: ‘All schools should provide a . broad education and have a duty to promote the wellbeing of their . pupils. Our reforms will reduce the number of tests that children take . and have given teachers the freedom to use their professional judgement . to tailor lessons. ‘We are . also giving all schools more freedom to offer extra-curricular . activities that will build character. These include sports matches, . debating competitions, cadet training and inspirational careers talks . from outside visitors. We want more schools to take up these freedoms.’
Education Secretary hits back at independent school head Richard Walden.
Headmaster argues state schools create amoral children because they don't have time to teach right from wrong .
Says private school children do better because of 'value-rich' education .
Dismisses argument that success is down to privileged background .
By . James Chapman . Education Secretary Michael Gove dismissed claims state schools are 'amoral' as nonsense . A private schools boss has been condemned by Michael Gove for claiming state schools are turning out ‘amoral’ children. The . Education Secretary reacted with fury after Richard Walden, chair of . the Independent Schools Association, suggested many state school pupils . end up with no sense of right and wrong. Mr . Gove told the Daily Mail he was speaking ‘nonsense’ and said private . school heads increasingly fear their sector is threatened by . fast-improving state education. Mr . Walden claimed state schools are failing to provide pupils with a . ‘moral compass’ because teachers are concentrating on delivering better . academic results. Too many . state school staff operated in ‘a climate of fear’ which meant they . failed to provide children with an enriching education, he added. Fee-paying . schools devote more time to extra-curricular activities, a broad . curriculum and personal, social, health and economic development – . meaning their students were able to ‘distinguish the good from the bad . and the true from the false’. Mr . Walden, head of £6,867-a-year Castle House School in Shropshire, which . caters for two to 11-year-olds, made his provocative claims in a keynote . speech to fellow heads at his association’s annual conference in . Warwickshire. ‘Schools are . turning out too many amoral children because teachers cannot find the . time to teach the difference between right and wrong,’ he said. ‘It . seems that the only results that matter are those which have created . added value in terms of raising a pupil’s statistical level from one . stage to the next, and parents are increasingly buying in to this . notion.’ But Mr Gove . insisted: ‘This is nonsense. State schools are getting better in every . respect – from delivering a more rigorous education to ensuring children . leave school with the right values. ‘Only . a few weeks ago, the head of the independent King’s College School in . Wimbledon admitted state schools are improving so fast they are . increasingly becoming a threat to private schools. ‘When . I visit a school which gets great academic results it is always the . case that everything else about the school is also brilliant; the sport, . the community involvement, the best drama. Wasting talent, by telling . millions of pupils that academic success is not for them, would be truly . amoral.’ Richard Walden claimed state schools are failing to provide pupils with a ¿moral compass¿ because teachers are concentrating on delivering better academic results (file picture) The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) questioned the . values being instilled by private schools – claiming they had turned . out many pupils who had gone on to work in the City and helped cause the . financial crash. Russell . Hobby, general secretary of the NAHT, said: ‘I don't think there is . evidence to support an amoral generation emerging from our schools. In . many ways, the coming generation has higher standards than our own. Indeed, one has only to look at sectors with high proportions of . publicly-schooled people – like those who led us into the financial . crash – to doubt the truth of this proposition. ‘Values . are not just found in the curriculum but in the way you teach the . curriculum, in the behaviour policies and code of conduct, in the way . adults treat children and each other. Teachers in state schools would . love time for greater breadth and extra- curricular activity, but they . are teaching strong values nonetheless.’ A . Department for Education spokesman said: ‘All schools should provide a . broad education and have a duty to promote the wellbeing of their . pupils. Our reforms will reduce the number of tests that children take . and have given teachers the freedom to use their professional judgement . to tailor lessons. ‘We are . also giving all schools more freedom to offer extra-curricular . activities that will build character. These include sports matches, . debating competitions, cadet training and inspirational careers talks . from outside visitors. We want more schools to take up these freedoms.’
By . James Chapman . Education Secretary Michael ‘nonsense’ and said private . school heads claimed state schools are failing to provide amoral children because teachers cannot find the . time to teach the difference between right and the head of the independent King’s College School that academic success is not for them, would be truly . amoral.’ Richard Walden claimed state