Poor-performing, Sink Schools should simply be scrapped & we start all over again with clear targets for achievement & discipline. The threat of closure is a half-way house & does not go far enough.

Ian Cheese, london, uk

I taught at a large secondary High School for 22 years .I retired 10 years ago and recently revisited the school.I was amazed at the improvements in all aspects ....buildings, equipment, achievement ,motivation and ethos.Alice Miles should be more aware of similar improvements around the country .

John Parker, Stockport,

We seem to have lost sight of one more important fact about government target setting. When these students were taught, this target did not exist. We are being told we are failures for not hitting a target that wasn't there!

p bignell, walsall, west midlands

My foreign background can't conceive that someone spends 10 years at school, makes it up to secondary education and is unable to read or write properly. I thought they would just be failed and would never get there. Can someone try to explain to me how the education system can allow this to happen?

Manuel Dias, Coventry/Lisbon, UK/Portugal

Parents abrogate their responsibility, children come to school already ruined, parents and the society immediately blame the teachers! I wouldn't blame all the teachers in underperforming schools if they just left and got jobs where they might be appreciated. One reaps the reward for stupidity.

Paul Thompson, Berkeley CA, USA

My experience has seen boys enter secondary with a poor attitude to education, staff and to their peers. I have met good teachers worn down trying to encourage pupils to work and take more responsibility. EAL boys have excelled very quickly! Why? Excellent attitude to education & parental support.

L. Campbell, Croydon, England

It's a shame Ed Balls doesn't have only fifty days left. He and his party are the biggest failures modern Britain has ever seen or could ever imagine. They know nothing about education and actually care even less.

MJ, London,

Failing schools, failing hospitals - same solution, to bring in private companies. Don't be surprised to find ministers appointed to the boards of these companies once they're kicked out of office. Helping the illiterate is of secondary concern - let them eat cake!

dr john, london,

Only this week Mr Balls has launched yet another initiative on schools this time to keep children at the same school throughout their education. This sounds like entrenchment, a legacy acting against Tory aspiration, political and mean spirited. This is TSR2 again - ensure no way back, criminal.

Malcolm Turner, Alsager, England

Most music students have one to one lessons.
Some children need one to one lessons to bring out the best in them. It is worth it for their future and society.

R. Ince, Istanbul, Turkey

The nu-labour experiment is over.... and it failed.

Roger Angove, Truro, Cornwall, UK

Spare a thought for the worst-performing education system in Europe! Soleley to be blamed is the government - knows nothing about anything but feels constrained to change everything. The finest natural resource of a country is its kids - our Leaders have ignored their human rights. Arraign them!

john problem, winchester, uk

I was 1 of 5 children, alcoholic father, (needed speech therapy to undo my drunken brawl) free school meals, teachers gave me second hand uniform, not a single book at home,forced to leave at 16 (1972) school was my salvation against ALL the odds got good o levels. Why can't schools do that today?

kaz, hatfield,

do what the germans do:
-multi-level schooling from 6+
-hold underachievers back a year, move gifted up

Seems to motivate kids enough to keep up with their peers and are learning things they're interested in.
Although English systems never seem to work even when they're correct = Bully heaven here

tom, lancs,

Two ways to limit the growing population of unsocialised, unemployable British 'citizens'. One: cut back the production line - support marriage, stop supporting irresponsible breeding. Two: prevent the disruptive and violent from destroying the chances of all - heads must be able to expel them.

MikeMSN, Midsomer Norton, UK

Every school should be set free from Government and every parent giving a voucher that can be used at a school of their choice. Schools should be accountable to parents and not to Ed Balls. Let poor schools fail and allow new schools to open.

D Gould, Brighton, UK

I actually agree with Bishop Hill

Charles Reischauer, Perth,

Isadora, London - teacher's don't "stick it". 50% resign within the first 3 years and change careers.

Diogenes, Middle England,

Many schools are secondary moderns who have lost the brightest 25% .Some have added value scores which according to Ofsted make them outstanding.Others have huge numbers of pupils who don't speak English as a first language.Also they are being judged by a measure only recently introduced.

JOHN, SHEFFIELD,

I'd be surprised if there is much difference in the standard of teaching between "failing" and successful schools. The problems are caused by bad parenting. Threatening people only works when they are chained to oars in the bottom of a boat.

Jon, manchester,

Meanwhile educated and well off parents, our MPs especially, continue to send their kids to private schools. Isn't it funny how schools with less resources and high concentrations of pupils from poorer or troubled backgrounds don't perform well? I really don't know how some teachers stick it.

Isadora, London,

My spouse is a teacher. She has little time to prepare classes. All her time is taken up preparing responses to policy and strategy initiatives.

Parents take no responsibility for their children's education either choosing to stamp into schools and hurl abuse at staff in general.

Olaf, Dundee, UK

I was educated in the far east and poor family & our education was tough & kids were well discipline. But we were motivated to compete and listen in the class. Guess what, I was motivated & got my degree. Nowadays is play, lack of discipline & motivation. I would blame the government & lazy parents

jo, aberdeen, UK

For the last few years, we have had headlines in all the newspapers stating - massive increases in GCSE results.
Comments like are the exams being made easier !!

Now we are told that many schools are failing !!

Can someone explain this to me.

tom trickett, douglas, isle of man

I notice from the list of under performing schools, that there are significant clusters, towns in Lancashire with high Immigrant populations. I also notice numerous schools in Cheltenham - not the poorest part of the country.
And schools that cost £17m . This just leaves policy and parents.

Gordon, Harvington, UK

The system is flawed as poor teachers do not leave the system, but just bounce around schools until they find one which matches their own ability. The public sector needs the private sector ethos of if you are not good enough you will not work in it, otherwise it will continue to be a gravy train.

D Fielding, Surrey, uk

The problem is that schools are expected to pick up the tab for all of society's ills and still get good results. Even if teachers burst blood vessels attempting the task, sometimes it will be impossible and some schools are more full of those problems than their neighbours. Soundbites don't help.

J. Goldsmith, Folkestone, England

Good teachers inspire pupils, and they in turn should be inspired by good government, not threatened and lectured by uninspired and uninspiring politicians and bureaucrats with no real understanding of the problems and no proper solutions to them either.

Paul, Bedford,

".. children with deprived and disruptive family backgrounds many of whom cannot read or write English, lack any positive parental support and have already given up on their chances in life before they walk through the school gates at 11."

Another strong case for limiting immigration.

Befair, London,

I've worked in many schools, as a contractor and technician. Both pupils and teachers set the standards. Yes there are many poor teachers. We are seeing the result of poor discipline and education in the past moving to the next generation. We must be more disciplined and reponsible for ourselves.

Chris, Devon, UK

My children, now at primary school will attend one of these failing schools, unless they pass 11+ and get a grammar school place.
I fear, that nothing between now and then will change and my children's education will be blighted.
This government is failing a generation of children.

Catherine Beak, Sittingbourne, UK

Education is run by government. Of course it doesn't work.

Bishop Hill, Scotland,

It comes from the home. If that fails, achievement is severely reduced

A teacher

John, London,

Take a look at Leeds: one of the biggest PFI schools schemes in the country (£100 million) and almost every rebuilt / merged school now on the 'failing' list.

The first chairman of 'Education Leeds' was Peter Ridsdale, of Leeds United fame.

One more for a hat-trick?

MarkS, Leeds,

I'd shut down the Dept for Education, or whatever it's called. It has not benefitted education or children. It shouldn't exist anyway. Education is a Local Government responsibility. Let's eradicate this parasite and distribute its cost to the schools.

Mike, Milton Keynes,

There are thousands of virtually ineducable children; there are also thousands of poor teachers. Put them together and you get failing schools. Targets are pointless as the only way to get near them with the worst kids is to fiddle the exam system, as is done now, but on an ever-increasing scale.

Jan Thomas, Nottinghwam, England

Schools, not Education, have become a useful tool in "Social experiment"
There were always "tough schools" in "tough areas" Grammar schools provided an escape route. but only on merit
Thats what upset the socialist ideologs. Difference is dangerous to "social planning". The remedy is coercion.

Peter Bolt, Redditch, UK

Pupils do not fail it is parents first and foremost, then school and then society that is failing them. We have a system that encourages the young and feckless to have children at the expense of us all. But the expense only starts there when they raise a generation with no hope. It's all around.

Paul Owen, Birmingham, UK

Alice Miles,

You have hit the nail on the head, what an inspiring article that shows the true side to the administrations ridiculous attempts to tart up the rubbish they throw at the education system. And yes i work in a primary school of 400 odd pupils in a disadvantaged area, and get no support

Chris, Ashford, UK

"50 days! - to produce an “action plan” or face closure or merger." ?? And how will closing or merging the school help them to improve? How will forcing children to uproot and find new schools help them to reach their 'targets'? Stupidest suggestion ever, or perhaps just an empty threat.

Stuart, Coventry,

The pendulum has swung the other way.A civilization that was once upon a time a store of knowledge seems now unable to extricate itself from the quagmire of decadence and degeneration of its youth. Despair not.Introduce the national service or get them to do community service.Better late than never!

SD Goh, PJ, Malaysia

It always seems to be governments, schools and teachers who are 'failing'; Never pupils. Why don't we just give them all the ten A*s they are 'entitled' to on their birth certificates? Save billions on the education budget.

Eric Skelton, Cardiff, W

As a nation we cannot simply stand back and watch failing schools fail many bright kids. Of course there are failing schools located in disadvantaged areas; but these schools are not without hard-working pupils who deserve at the very least to be in a fairly decent school. Let's consider the kids.

Des, Edinburgh,