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A report by Katherine Sellgren from the ASCL conference in Manchester.
"A poll of 1,471 heads by the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) found nearly half (46%) had converted to academy status or intended to do so."
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That's why it's essential that schools stick together and tell this government that we won't let them ride roughshod over our education system. There are many other options available to them in their campaign to cut the deficit-they should not be starting with the public sector. Education, health services and the emergency services should be sacred and we should all fight to ensure they are not on the front line of the cuts when there are alternatives.
ReplyDeleteThe gov'ts reform agenda in the public services seems to me be designed to make them less accountable. If you can hand over accountability to individual schools, or to individual GP practices and they make a hash of it, the gov't can turn round, shrug its shoulders and say 'don't blame us.' The fact that it might be critical public services failing in this way seems not to matter to them very much.
ReplyDeleteOn that point, once the education authority has been removed, the education ombudsman has been removed, where do parents turn to appeal complex problems that an academy school is reluctant, unwilling or unable to resolve? Do they have to go direct to the secretary of state?
Headteachers and governors are walking blindfolded into the oft-mentioned honey-trap. This is a hurried, short-term solution to a budget problem. (A budget problem we all share.) Becoming an independent school throws up more problems in the long run than it solves. LEAs have looked after our local schools as well as possible for many years - to disregard years of care and investment from our LEA seems churlish to say the least.
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