Michael Gove’s education speech to the Conservative Party Conference

Commenting on the Shadow Education Secretary’s speech to the Conservative Party Conference, Steve Sinnott General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, Britain’s largest teaching union said:

"While Michael Gove’s plans to back teachers’ authority are welcome, his proposals to let anyone open a new school are way off beam.

"His aim of ending division between rich and poor will be scuppered by those who know how to play the game of school choice at the expense of poorer parents who don’t have the knowledge or inclination to spend days hunting down the schools they want.

"To achieve his goal of ending social division he would have done much better to argue for a good local school for every child.

"Michael Gove’s proposals on adventure represent the welcome development of a cross party consensus that teachers need to be reassured that they can have confidence in organising outdoor trips ".