TEACHERS unions said yesterday that the Tory government’s academy and free school programme has failed and its privatisation agenda amounted to a ‘war on schools’.
They were responding to the PM Cameron’s plans, announced yesterday, that up to 3,500 schools ‘requiring improvement’ will be forced to become academies with ‘super heads’ parachuted in.
Until now, only schools deemed to be ‘failing’ by Ofsted would be subjected to forced academisation.
Cameron launched his ‘war on mediocracy’ as he spoke yesterday at Kingsmead school in Enfield, North London.
He warned schools: ‘If you are not “good” or “outstanding” you will have to change, if you cannot do it yourself you will have to let experts come in and help you.
‘Under a Conservative government, any school that Ofsted says “requires improvement” and cannot demonstrate that it has the capacity to improve will have to become a sponsored academy.’
This signifies the Tories’ intention to end comprehensive schools and replace them all with privately run academies and free schools.
Kevin Courtney, National Union of Teachers Deputy General Secretary, demanded all free schools and academies to be brought back under local authority control.
Courtney said: ‘Last week we saw three reports from the influential Education Select Committee, the National Audit Office and the Public Accounts Committee heavily criticising the academies and free schools programme and pointing to the lack of evidence that it leads to improved standards.
‘How much more evidence does the government need before it admits that its academy and free school programme has failed?
‘It has failed on standards, failed on transparency, failed on accountability and failed to secure the trust of the public.
‘It is a disgrace that the government has allowed such a situation to develop and is turning a deaf ear to the serious concerns raised by such a wide range of people.
‘It is very clear that the academies and free schools programme has nothing to do with standards but everything to do with a privatisation agenda.
‘One of the first steps for whoever forms the government in May, must be to bring back all schools into local authority oversight and fit for purpose accountability systems.’
Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers & Lecturers (ATL), said: ‘There is no evidence that academies raise standards of education.
‘There is evidence, however, that the government is unable to account for academy spending.
‘Faced with these uncomfortable findings, David Cameron has decided to plough ahead, doing more of the same.
‘When will politicians stop declaring war on schools?’
Chris Keates, NASUWT General Secretary, said: ‘Parents and the public will be deeply disappointed that the Conservatives are still clinging to a such a policy and the charade of using Ofsted to justify it when there is no evidence that it raises standards.
‘There is however a wealth of evidence to show that the policy has caused fragmentation of the service and has been instrumental in removing fundamental educational entitlements from children and young people including their right to a qualified teacher and to free access to a broad and balanced curriculum.
‘Children and young people deserve better.’
