“Data, in theory, means measurability, tracking and accountability, and therefore is favoured and celebrated by those in the business of measuring education, tracking education, and holding education accountable.  Every year teachers across the country collect spreadsheet after spreadsheet of meaningless data on their pupils.  They analyse that data and discuss it endlessly with managers and leaders and make decisions about future planning based on what the data says.  But the data gathered is, invariably, pure garbage.”