The Live Wire



Press Release

NUT on academies and free schools

26 April 2011

Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, the largest teachers' union, said;

“The Academies and Free Schools programme is an ideologically driven attack on state comprehensive education which has nothing to do with the raising of standards in schools. The Government is now encouraging all schools, including special schools and PRUs, to apply for academy status. This measure is designed to undermine democratically elected local authorities. It will have a catastrophic effect on the equity of access to education and coherent planning of school places.

“Cutting out the local authority will leave schools which opt to become academies without the vital support that is needed to ensure they can offer the necessary support and advice for pupils as and when it is needed.

“The NUT is very concerned about the undermining of teachers' pay and conditions through the Free Schools and academies programme. Lord Hill has written to schools threatening to reject their applications for academy status unless they abandon national pay and conditions. This makes clear the Government's real agenda, which is to drive down teachers' pay and erode their conditions. Likewise, allowing free schools to employ teachers without qualified teacher status will damage education and undermine standards across the whole profession.

“Michael Gove has already said that he has no objection in principle to schools making a profit. The Government cannot justify the transfer of publicly funded assets in the form of school buildings and land into the hands of unaccountable sponsors or academy trusts. It is already becoming clear that the majority of Free Schools will be run by established academy chain sponsors or private companies.

“Let us be clear, this is not about standards, it is about the privatisation of our education system and it will lead to stark divisions in the education provision afforded to pupils and parents across the country.

“We need to send a clear and unequivocal message to Government that our education system is not for sale.”



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National Union of Teachers

National Union of Teachers

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