NASUWT: Coalition government's subterfuge and secrecy fails to pay off

Wednesday, 1 September 2010 12:00 AM

Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, the largest teachers' union, has condemned the subterfuge and secrecy the Coalition Government has employed to seek to press schools into becoming academies and welcomed the fact that only a handful of schools appear to be converting to academy status.

Chris Keates said:

"The collusion and subterfuge in which the Coalition Government has engaged with some headteachers and governing bodies to keep their intention to convert their schools into academies from parents, staff and the public is disgraceful. "Education is a public service. Schools are held and managed in trust for parents and the public.

"The idea that a handful of governors or an individual headteacher can make such a serious and irreversible decision without having consulted fully with staff, parents and the local community will shock all right minded people. "It is likely that some parents will only find out their school has changed its status when the list is published.

"However, despite the unacceptable tactics to seek to tempt schools into becoming academies and repeated claims by the Secretary of State for Education of widespread interest in academy status, only a handful of schools it seems will convert on 1 September. "Reported claims that a poor showing will be blamed on the tactics it is alleged the trade unions have used are risible.

"The reason for a low take-up will be much closer to home. The Coalition Government has misjudged the situation and its tactics have failed. "Those promoting academy status are bankrupt of strong, persuasive arguments. "Assertions of vast amounts of additional money for academies have proved to be gross exaggerations.

"The fact that on becoming an academy a school becomes a charitable company limited by guarantee sits uneasily with many governors and parents. "The unseemly manner and speed with which the Academies Act was bludgeoned through Parliament has left important points of detail unaddressed.

"But the killer blow is that there is no evidence to present that academy status is the key to raising standards. "This academy programme has been nothing but a major distraction from teaching and learning. Its time the Coalition Government abandoned this flawed ideology."

ENDS

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