The Live Wire



Press Release

Liberal Democrats reject academies and free schools

20 September 2010

Commenting on the motion on academies and Free Schools at the Liberal Democrat conference in Liverpool today, Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, the largest teachers' union, said:

"This debate has shown up the conflict between Liberal Democrat and Tory values. The fault line in the coalition government will clearly be on education policies and the importance of a fair education for all.

"Academies and Free Schools are Tory policies and stand in direct opposition to previous Liberal Democrat thinking. Before the election we had Sarah Teather, triumphantly saying that the Liberal Democrats 'provided the only opposition to the academies project' and of the Free Schools programs that it was a 'shambles', but where is her opposition now?

"The grass roots of the party overwhelming spoke of their rejection of academies and Free Schools. They know, as does the NUT, that implementation of this policy will lead to a fragmentation of the education system which will benefit the wealthy and leave the most disadvantaged behind. It is a costly and divisive policy that is not wanted and not needed as the delegates at the Liberal Democrat conference today have so overwhelmingly indicated."



Press releases, papers and documents published on this page are the intellectual property of an organisation unrelated to Central Lobby. We promote their parliamentary and political campaigning activities as they are subscribers to the Central Lobby service.

As such, Central Lobby does not edit, endorse, or attempt to balance the opinions expressed on this page. The content of press releases and other such types of content are the responsibility of the originating organisation.

National Union of Teachers

National Union of Teachers

More from Dods

© Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd