Schools' spokeperson slams Academy proposals
Wednesday, 16 March 2016
Labour school's spokesperson on Calderdale Council, Cllr Megan Swift has slammed George Osborne's proposals to force every school in England to become an Academy, claiming that it's a destructive policy that is driven by ideology.
Cllr Swift also claimed that the Chancellor is using the announcement in his budget as part of a blatant power grab within the Conservative party, putting his own ambitions to be Prime Minster ahead of the interests of local children.
Cllr Swift said, "The overwhelming majority of our primary schools have made a conscious choice not to become academies. They value the opportunity to work in partnership with each other, and with the local authority.
"It is also the case that over the last two years, no community schools have been found to be failing – the problems we have experienced have all been with schools that were removed from the more direct influence of the local authority.
"Far from offering schools greater freedom, the likelihood is that they will be forced to join bureaucratic and undemocratic academy chains, accountable to unelected sponsors and to civil servants in Whitehall. The views of local parents and local communities will be completely ignored."