At his news conference this morning, Blair was unable to explain how primary schools were supposed to become Academies, but repeated his intention that all schools in England become either Trust Schools (which they are not exactly queuing up to do) or Academies. Quite what would be the point of making all schools into one or other of these, I can't quite see. After all, what if someone had tried to make all schools into grammar schools...?
However, trade unions are seldom short of cash, and the teaching unions, with by definition a middle-class base, must be loaded. Likewise, the National Secular Society's list of Honorary Associates marks it out as easily the best-connected voluntary organisation in Britain, if not in the English-speaking world, and thus no doubt as fabulously rich accordingly; if it is not, then Honorary Associates such as Philip Pullman are certainly not short of a bob or two.
So here's a thought: why don't the teaching unions and the NSS start sponsoring Academies? Or is it that, like Eustonites challenged to stand for Parliament (see a reply to a post below), they consider it "unethical" to suggest that they should put up or shut up?
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Manchester City Council's Manchester Model does just this thing you're suggesting with £10M of reserves or some lower bargain figure for a bunch coming from reserves while £200M or whatever comes form HM Treasury. Schools are then associated with (a) a loose specialty and (b) a socially minded employer like the Airport we people own. This wonderful adaptation of the Adonis Complex has been storming through for well over 12 months. If Adonis had thought of it himself he would have saved a lot of fuss and a good number of Council seats and votes.
ReplyDeleteHave now Blogged This.
ReplyDeleteVery many thanks. And I will be linking to you, as soon as I work out how to do it.
ReplyDeleteAdonis is a marvel of the age: he simply declared himself to be an "Education Expert", and was taken entirely at face value by the New Establishment, all the way up to being made Schools Minister, complete with a peerage necessary in order to make this possible.
Well, I hereby simply declare myself to be an "Education Expert" (I am a school governor, I have been a supply teacher - that's at least two up on Adonis). So, where are my peerage and my Ministerial office?