NUT comment on the Academies report

Thursday, 27 January 2011 12:00 AM

Commenting on the Committee of Public Accounts' report The Academies Programme, Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, the largest teachers' union, said;

"The lack of clarity from Government about the purpose of the new academies programme comes across loud and clear in this report. While previously under Labour the aim of sponsored academies was, and remains, to work within deprived areas, the new Academies have no such clear objective.

"The fact that concerns have been raised about the effectiveness of accountability in academies is a sad indictment on a Government that spends much time devising endless ways to assess and judge local authority schools. There seems to be no desire to ensure Academies are subject to the same rigorous scrutiny.

"It is unacceptable that in some academies there continues to be financial mismanagement of what we have to remember is public money. Similarly it is quite unbelievable that, under the previous system, some sponsors never paid in full the money they pledged to open up Academies. How many times are we told that the private sector is so much better at delivering public services only to find the reverse is true"

"It is nothing short of reckless for the Government to push ahead with the expansion of the academies programme when this report shows the Education Department is already struggling with the administration of, as the committee says, 'the relatively small' number of Academies at present.'

"Not for the first time the NUT calls on the Government to stand back and look at the obvious flaws in the academies and Free Schools programme and stop rushing headlong down this unacceptable route. Education of our children and young people is far too important to make mistakes."

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