Education Authority

In all the tributes to Alan Watkins, there has been little or no mention of his Old Labour anger at the destruction of the grammar schools. Funny, that.

In true Thatcherite tradition, "free schools", in the fairly unlikely event that any are ever set up, will have to be "comprehensives". Considering that we are talking about the likes of Toby Young, that means Lenin High Schools such as the one in Havana. Without powerful Local Education Authorities, there can never again be a bipartite or tripartite secondary system. That is the real reason for wanting to abolish what remains of LEAs.

Academies, it tends not to be mentioned, are in fact private schools, but with their bills met by the taxpayer. The sponsor is in reality the owner, despite the mere two million pounds required to acquire that status. If he wants to award all contracts for construction, catering, cleaning and everything else to companies owned by himself, then he can do so, and you and I pick up the tab. Does he then make donations to the governing party, thereby securing for himself yet more such cash cows? What do you think?