Teachers and town halls up in arms over school plans

19 May 05
The government's education plans for its third term will threaten working relations between schools and local government, teaching leaders warned this week.

20 May 2005

The government's education plans for its third term will threaten working relations between schools and local government, teaching leaders warned this week.

The forthcoming Education Bill, unveiled in the Queen's Speech on May 17, promised 'further reform… to improve quality and choice' but attracted criticism from teachers and head teachers alike.

Proposals to extend foundation status to primary schools drew the ire of the National Union of Teachers, which said it was neither wanted nor necessary.

NUT general secretary Steve Sinnott said: 'Foundation status undermines productive co-operation between schools and local authorities.'

The Secondary Heads Association directed its criticism at plans to give Ofsted the power to close failing schools. 'There is no need for this,' said John Dunford, SHA general secretary.

'We are strongly opposed to giving powers to Ofsted to close schools. This should be done only by local authorities, which have the long-term strategic responsibility for school places and understand the needs of their local communities.'

The Local Government Association has been a persistent critic of moves to make schools more autonomous, which it says runs counter to councils' efforts to promote child welfare.

The point was reiterated this week. LGA chair Sir Sandy Bruce-Lockhart said: 'It will be a big mistake if the government goes further down the road of a nationalised schools' system, where individual schools are cut off from the rest of their communities' needs.

'We want teachers free to teach, assisted by councils providing services that take the pressure off schools, organising fair admissions and targeting resources to areas of greatest educational and social need.'

The government will also legislate to bring 'new educational providers' into the state system to boost local attainment levels 'subject to parental demand, fair funding and fair admissions'. These include faith groups and private companies, suggesting the government is pressing on with its controversial city academies programme.

The NUT called for academies' performance to be evaluated before more are rolled out.

The programme came under further fire this week following reports that the £18m Unity City Academy in Middlesbrough had failed its Ofsted inspection.

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