«What is becoming quite clear is that
the academy and free school programme is turning its back on an education system that is accountable to the taxpayer.
«It highlights issues that the NASUWT predicted would occur when the current
academies and free schools programme was conceived by the Coalition.
«The expansion of
the academies and Free Schools programme, regardless of any evidence to show that it is the solution to raising attainment in schools, is a wrong move and will lead to a two tier education system.
«
The academies and free schools programme is proving to be a modern version of The Emperor's New Clothes, as we always knew it would be.
Under
the academies and free school programme, these schools report to the Department for Education and to central government directly.
Commenting on today's speech by the Prime Minister, Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, the largest teachers» union said: «Yet again we see the myth being peddled that
the academies and Free Schools programmes are the answer to a good education in this country.
However, Unions highlighted reports from MPs on the cross-party education select committee and the public accounts committee, both published last week, which criticised
the academies and free schools programme and pointed to the lack of evidence that it was leading to improved standards.
Sir David Carter, national schools commissioner, said: «I am delighted that Christine is joining my team of RSCs at such an exciting phase of
the academies and free schools programmes.
The government's
academies and free schools programme - where schools are run by independent organisations but outside of local authority influence - aims to improve failing schools.
«We are driving forward
the academies and free schools programmes with more than half of secondary schools now enjoying academy status.
The National Union of Teachers warned the expansion of
the academies and free schools programme was a wrong move that would a two tier education system.
Each has come with their own unique agenda for reform; for Michael Gove it was
the academies and free schools programme; for Nicky Morgan, it was character building, resilience and trying to build bridges with the profession.
Concerns of potential conflicts of interests have been raised about individuals contracted to work as advisers in the government's
academies and free schools programme in England.
Not exact matches
We already have eight regional
schools commissioners, who take on key decisions regarding
academies and free schools, so perhaps the number
and remit will change, especially as the
free schools programme will be terminated.
As with the
academies programme,
free schools were initially meant to address issues of equity
and inclusion,
and create quality provision in poorer areas where it may not already exist.
From my point of view the main embarrassment has been
and continues to be Liberal Democrat support for Osborne's economic policies: others may be concerned about other issues (support for the restructuring of the NHS, or the creation of «
free»
schools and extension of the
academy programme, for example).
2.57 pm: My colleague Paul Owen has just been to a fringe meeting where David Laws was explaining his worries about the coalition's expansion of the
academies programme and introduction of
free schools.
The expansion of the
academies programme and free schools, the end of the # 55bn Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, and a reduction in government funding for higher education are all having a significant impact on the
schools, the end of the # 55bn Building
Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, and a reduction in government funding for higher education are all having a significant impact on the
Schools for the Future (BSF)
programme,
and a reduction in government funding for higher education are all having a significant impact on the sector.
The government's flagship
school reforms
programme of encouraging
academy conversion
and the opening of new
free schools could act to widen educational inequality across the country, according to new analysis.
The role of local authorities is changing dramatically, increasing pressure on
school based teams,
and the
free school programme (an off shoot of the
academies programme) has introduced competition between
schools which focuses attention not just on academic performance but on the image a
school wants to project.
The current government
programme has been to provide choice for parents with more
schools moving towards Academy status, the creation of Free Schools with a definitive education vision and creation of vocationally led schools like the University Technical Colleges
schools moving towards
Academy status, the creation of
Free Schools with a definitive education vision and creation of vocationally led schools like the University Technical Colleges
Schools with a definitive education vision
and creation of vocationally led
schools like the University Technical Colleges
schools like the University Technical Colleges (UTC).
Schools Week has previously revealed how the government wrote off nearly # 10 million as losses soar under the expansion of its
free school and academies programme.
Most of the legal changes needed for the expansion of the
academies programme and to allow groups to set up free schools were passed in the Academies Act, which went through Parliament in th
academies programme and to allow groups to set up
free schools were passed in the
Academies Act, which went through Parliament in th
Academies Act, which went through Parliament in the summer.
The
free schools programme, established by Michael Gove in 2010 as a way for members of the public
and teachers to set up their own
schools, is increasingly used by large, established
academy chains to start their own
schools.
The OECD warned in 2011 that the
free schools and academies programme would need careful monitoring to ensure it did not increase social segregation.
Local authorities will no longer build
schools themselves, so the
free schools programme will be the gateway for «education providers» - including faith groups
and those behind existing
academy chains - to establish new
schools.
The Coalition Government continued
and borrowed the 50 % policy when it introduced its
free schools programme in 2010 (
free schools are a type of
academy school).
The
academies programme is still on firm ground
and will remain so, but a revamped framework for
free schools is a strong possibility.
An
Academies Act, passed in the summer, paved the way for groups of parents, teachers and charities to set up their own «free schools», and for the expansion of the academies programme, under which schools are being encouraged to «opt out» of local authority
Academies Act, passed in the summer, paved the way for groups of parents, teachers
and charities to set up their own «
free schools»,
and for the expansion of the
academies programme, under which schools are being encouraged to «opt out» of local authority
academies programme, under which
schools are being encouraged to «opt out» of local authority control.