On 26 May 2010 at 10:45am Down and Out wrote:
Well, it sounds like the Tories are going to invite my kids' two schools - Wallands and Priory - to opt out of LA control and go for academy status.
I haven't got any particular problems with the way ESCC runs schools here - especially compared to my previous experiences of Camden and Brighton. As I see it, the benefit is (supposedly) more money, set against the risk of control of the school falling into the hands of a bunch of independent idiots or even Creationist loons who make a complete hash of running it, and and it stands I'd favour both schools staying with ESCC unless someone can persuade me otherwise.
I believe that any change to academy status would be subject to a parental referendum, so I just wondered where others stand on this.
On 26 May 2010 at 11:28am jrsussex wrote:
D & O - I agree with you. Whilst their are benefits to both systems it should be something that is well discussed between the head and their teachers bringing in the parents at some stage to ensure they fully understand the potential change in status. Once that understanding is achieved then a collective decision can be reached.
On 26 May 2010 at 11:34am 'ere be monsters wrote:
Ed Balls was on the telly this morning saying how ridiculous it was to create all the new Academies as it would put teachers out of jobs ruin schooling ...blah....blah. Slagging off the very system that they put into place. That's politics!!
On 26 May 2010 at 11:44am Down and Out wrote:
It'll be interesting to see how the process is managed. I could easily see how an 'EnronAcademyCorp' organisation could approach schools, saying to heads, "We'll double your salary if you help us push this through". There are too many stories about how GPs pay skyrocketed when they became fundholding for me to trust this.
On 26 May 2010 at 6:03pm Old cynic wrote:
If schools decide (through whatever process) to become acadamies and opt out of council control who provides the funding? Would it still be the council or are funds directly from central government?
On 26 May 2010 at 7:54pm jrsussex wrote:
I have just read on the BBC news site that academy schools are government funded. No idea if that is correct information but it is on the BBC news, they wouldn't mislead the public would they???
On 26 May 2010 at 8:07pm Clifford wrote:
What's ironic is that 'free schools' were an ultra-left thing in the early 1970s. How the circle turns. The difference was that the schools were to be run by a joint parents-teachers-pupils council.
On 26 May 2010 at 9:38pm MC wrote:
You can bet your life that there is an agenda to save money at the back of this, if not now then later on.
I hate the idea of schools being run by pressure groups, business and very especially by religious groups. I don't believe in independent (private) schools either. I think separating children along class and religious lines leads to a divided society and promotes an "us and them" attitude. Understanding (and tolerance) of others that "aren't quite like you" is reduced substantially and bigotry increased.
BTW. one of the ideas running in Ireland to reduce the problems between Protestants and Catholics is that the kids go to the same schools.
On 26 May 2010 at 11:02pm Brixtonbelle wrote:
The academy schools were always a bad idea - thinking education could be run as a business. they were promoted by the labour govt as away of turning around 'failing' schools. the difference with this govt is that the 'outstanding' schools are now invited to become academies, thus creating an artificial seperation within the state system. It will lead to more tiers in our education system - with the lowest achieving schools being left in the control of the LEA and all other schools opting out. Teachers will suffer as they will fall outside the the nationally agreed pay scales and inavriably it will depress their wages. or it will lead to corruption with governors paying heads huge bonuses (it's already happened). I agree MC, we don;t need more division and this can only lead to more.
Priory school just got an outstanding grade at ofsted - I wonder if it will try for academy status. can't quite see the point, really, as it's doing so well anyway.
On 27 May 2010 at 10:55pm MC wrote:
Yes, the LEA schools are likely to be starved of funds and become sink schools whilst the Boden glad and religious zealots swan off to the academies.... which after a while will be able to charge a premium for entry.
Horribly cynical, but then we do have a Tory Govt (the Liberals are already being played for fools).