Chancellor George Osbourns plans for all schools to convert to academies have been blasted by Altrincham and Sale West MP Graham Brady, the head of his party’s influential 1922 backbench committee.
The plans that were announced in last month’s budget would force schools will either have to have converted by 2020 or face an ‘academy order’ to ensure conversion by 2022.
The policy which would see schools no longer under the control of local authorities, hasbeen criticised by members of all three parties since they were revealed two weeks ago including central Manchester’s Lucy Powell,shadow education spokesman.
Now Brady has joined the row describing the scheme as bureaucratic, rather than delivering greater freedom and autonomy for schools.
According to a report in this morning’s Observer, Brady wil be writing to education secretary Nicky Morgan in the hope that the proposals spelled out in the recent education white paper can be changed.
He also wants, adds the paper, reassurances from Morgan that the plans will not be rushed through parliament – suggesting that without a rethink they could trigger a backbench Tory rebellion.
In a letter to a constituent posted on Twitter he said. “I’ve always favoured greater autonomy for schools. But I do think there is an issue if all schools are to become part of huge new chains, in which there is little accountability or parental involvement,” adding
If this move happens in the wrong way, there is a danger that instead of more freedom for schools we might see new and distant bureaucracies springing up. I hope there will be an opportunity for proper consideration of and improvement of the government’s proposals.”
Lucy Powell meanwhile has said :
“Schools are facing huge challenges over this parliament, including falling budgets for the first time since the mid-1990s, which will mean fewer teachers and teaching assistants. This costly reorganisation is an unnecessary and unfounded distraction, which could harm standards.
The row reached new heights when another Tory MP Edward Timpson revealed that ministers face a £1bn-plus funding “black hole” to pay for the plans whiles here are also concerns about the selling off of local authority land
