DfE hit with unimpressed comments after issuing a statement online
The Department for Education (DfE) has been met with a wave of disgruntled comments after posting a statement on Facebook that Brits claim has ‘fallen flat’. What initially seems to be a sincere apology quickly reveals itself to be a tongue-in-cheek post from the government body.
The post, which appears to have spectacularly backfired, has left many seething. Nearly 10,000 people have liked the post, with most using the ‘angry face’ emoji, while over 6,000 have left a variety of comments – including teachers and parents, reports the Mirror.
One person commented: “I thought this was a spoof. It sounds like something Trump would say.” Another said: “Well that went down like a lead balloon.” A third stated: “Tell me you’ve never worked a day in Education or early years, without telling me.”
A fourth queried: “Has there been a new media team? This type of ‘humour’ I’d expect from Aldi or somewhere, not a government department.” Another responded: “Assuming this is satire, because, as a teacher, I can say things have only got worse recently, not better.”
Earlier this week, the Department for Education published the statement online, expressing regret for the amount of money it has helped parents save, as well as the ‘free time’ it has given them through the introduction of breakfast clubs. However, it wasn’t long before people began asking in the comment section ‘is this a joke?’
The caption states: “We’ll take this one on the chin”. Within the statement, the DfE outlines several ‘unexpected consequences’ arising from its ‘efforts to give every child the best start in life’.
It notes: “Our Best Start Free Breakfast Clubs have served over 2.6 million meals, creating unforeseen levels of concentration in our classrooms and have left parents facing an alarming amount of unexpected free time at the start of the day.
“30 hours of government-funded childcare have saved parents £7,500 per child per year, triggering an outrageous increase in household savings and putting a shocking new focus on the importance of school readiness.”
The statement then addresses initiatives targeting school absences, saying: “With our drive to tackle school absence getting 140,000 children back in class and thousands more teachers recruited into our schools, our classrooms have become bustling hubs of learning, teeming with ambitious young people set to achieve and thrive with the help of this government.”
It added: “We put this down to our Plan for Change, which it seems has raised the bar alarmingly high. It turns out that when you have a mission to break down the barriers to opportunity, you end up making working people’s lives better.”
A spokesperson for the Department for Education, when asked for a response, stated: “As government, it’s crucial that we communicate the ways hard-working parents can save money while providing children with the best start of life. Meeting people where they are, with information they need to know, is our priority.
“We are proud of our achievements that are highlighted in the post – rolling out free breakfast clubs, getting more expert teachers at the front of our classrooms, making the biggest attendance gains since 2010 and saving parents £7,500 through 30 hours of government-funded childcare.”
