Education committee fails to agree on white paper

26 Jan 06
The controversy surrounding the education white paper was stepped up this week as an influential committee of MPs failed to agree on a response to the government's proposed school reforms.

27 January 2006

The controversy surrounding the education white paper was stepped up this week as an influential committee of MPs failed to agree on a response to the government's proposed school reforms.

As Public Finance went to press, the Commons education select committee finally reached their verdict on the paper. A committee source said: 'The report has now been agreed and will be published on January 27' – a day later than scheduled.

The source added that it included a minority report tabled by the committee's Conservative members. This is expected to back the white paper, in contrast to the majority report, which, according to leaks, will call for schools to admit set numbers of disadvantaged children, enforced by the local authority.

But Tory MPs see this as giving too much control to councils. They have also suggested the report was manipulated by the Labour-dominated committee to come up with recommendations palatable to rebel backbenchers and provide the prime minister with a compromise route.

Tony Blair this week insisted he was determined to push through his school reforms. 'I am not intending to lose [the vote], but it is a bit of a high wire act just at the moment,' he said.

But there was a warning from Sir Peter Lampl, founder of the educational charity the Sutton Trust. 'I suspect Tony Blair won't get the white paper through unless he's prepared to rely on Conservative support,' he said.

The Sutton Trust's latest report, published on January 23, highlighted social inequities in the system, with the best schools taking only a low proportion of disadvantaged children.

PFjan2006

Did you enjoy this article?

AddToAny

Top