NUT comment on Nick Clegg’s 'Free Schools' speech

Monday, 5 September 2011 2:55 PM

Commenting on the Deputy Prime Minister’s speech, Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, the largest teachers’ union, said this:

“Despite Nick Clegg’s assurances, equality in education will not be achieved through the Free Schools programme. There is no evidence that privately run schools in the US or Sweden have either improved standards, compared with state schools, or ensured social mobility. In fact the contrary is true.

“State education funded by taxpayers’ money should not be handed over to private companies to run for profit, or indeed for no profit whatsoever. This is nothing short of an attempt to break down coherent and fair state education in this country.

“It would appear that the Government has belatedly recognised that the role local authorities can, and should play, in deciding education provision in their area is central. This is undermined by the Academies and Free Schools programme which is encouraging schools to act autonomously and outside of the local authority family of schools.

“Despite the Deputy Prime Minister’s own party members overwhelmingly rejecting the Free Schools policy at their annual conference, Nick Clegg has chosen to disregard their views and is pressing ahead with trying to salvage a policy that is neither wanted nor needed.

“At a time of huge cuts to education provision this is quite a disgraceful waste of public money. What is required is a return to education policies that will work for everyone, not pander to the whims of a few.”

END pr116-2011
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Tags:
• education
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• free schools
,
• michael gove
,
• nick clegg
,
• unions