British government introduces plans for market-driven school system

[Hannah Bell]

The Conservative-Liberal government has begun fast tracking an Academies Bill through Parliament. Together with an Education and Children’s Bill in the autumn, the new arrangements will lay the basis for a market-driven, competitive system of schools, free from Local Authority control and increasingly run by the private sector.

Such a system presages a severe deterioration in teachers’ pay and conditions and the creation of profoundly unequal education for Britain’s children.

The Academies Bill, which is set to become law this summer, will allow a planned 500 secondary and 1,700 primary schools to apply for academy status for September and leave Local Authority control. For the first time, primary schools will be able to apply to become academies.

The Academies Bill allows all schools judged “outstanding” by Ofsted, the government inspectorate, to apply directly to the Education Secretary for “academy status”. They will be funded by central not local government on the basis of pupil numbers. While still described as “state” schools, they will function as privatised entities, free to set up partnerships with the private sector, and determine their own curriculum, pay rates and admissions policies, based on student “aptitudes”. They will also be free from routine Ofsted inspections. Operating as private concerns, academies are exempt from normal rules of public procurement whereby outsourcing contracts must be advertised and subject to competitive bidding. They are also exempt from freedom of information legislation.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/jun2010/acad-j09.shtml


something happening here, but you don't know what it is, do you, mr. "i love charter schools"?


- no local control
- no public records
- hello walmart international education, inc.!

[donco6]

1. So all the schools serving wealthy whites can pull out.

And all the schools serving poor and minorities get more rigid structures, less autonomy and more blame.

Faboo!

[MattBaggins]

2. Just like Arne wants in America

White flight

Say it loud say it proud

[donco6]

3. Yep.

White flight subsidized with your tax money! CAn it GET any better??

[maryf]

4. Control the people...

by controlling what they know/don't know. K&R

[amborin]

5. just like Duncan's RATT

[Catshrink]

6. "no local control"

What will the states' rights people say about that? If Arne is successful - God forbid - there would be no more Texas schoolbook massacres. Who would set standards? Britain is small compared to the US. I can't imagine the nightmare this will cause in the US -- but it's playing out now in real time.

Posts on the NEA's facebook page is stating the issues loudly and clearly:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#!/NEA.ORG

Jonathan Massey lays out the disappointment we're feeling with the NEA leadership and their silence about RttT.

[madrchsod]

7. welcome to duncanized education

dragging america and the world back to separate and unequal.

there`s a few more things i`d like to say about mr duncan and his boss pertaining to education but i won`t. i like it here at du and sometimes self control is a better course to take.