Will schools begin a mass opt out from local authority control this summer? That's certainly the aim of July's white paper on education, Choice and DiverSity.
Tory determination to destroy local education authorities (LEAs) aru heale a market system or grent maintained (GM) schools. introcucing seiection by the back door, is now abundantiy ciear.
copointed LE40 graduaily be replaced by funding agencies (FAs), government-appointed bodies similar to district health authorites.
Once 10 per cent of seconaary or primary pupiis in an LEA area are in opted out schoois, the FA will share responsibility for providing all school places in the area.
'Dual power' with an A veto over the LEA, will continue until 75 per cent of pupils in secondary or primary schools are in GM schools, when LEA responsibility will cease - uniess it chooses to hand over before then.
FAs give the government an instrument to intervene directly in the closure and creation of schools. It's an admission that the carrot of bribing schools with extra money to opt out has failed, with only 400 out of a possible 24,000 takers. Now they have a stick as well.
The FA's immediate task will be to get rid of governmentdefined'surplus places' by closing schools, clearing the ground for new or expanded GM schools. monthly draw. in now to be sure of a chance to win. Mybank...
The white paper also gives the government powers to take over Talling schools by sending in hit squads of ex and businessmen to sack teachers and impose a new management regime before handing them over to the GM sector.
Opting out will be made easier. The second ballot is abolished, shortening the time available for campaigning against opting out. LEAs will only be allowed to spend the equivalent of one ieaflet per parent on anti-opi out campaigns, with an equivaient amount previded to the governors to camcaian for.
A Key theme of the wnite paper encouragement of 'specialisation. In spite ct educadon secretary wonn Fatten's disclaimers, the outcome will be selection.
Aptitude sevites Secondary schools, driven by market funding, will inevitably choose pupils on what they regard as ability and aptitude, reinforcing class, gender and raCial discrimination.
The new selective system - a graded hierarchy of schools and courses - represents a more 1994. sophisticated version of the old grammar-secondary divide.
Patten has to step cautious to assuage Tory voters' fears that their own children may not gain a privileged place.
Choice and Diversity gives business the opportunity to directly influence teaching by putting money into schools and occupying a new category of 'sponsor governor' places on governing Learning the hard-up way bodies. it's an alternative to the allure of the over-ambitious civ echnology colleges policy.
But the wnite paper has a fatal haw inat may keep ine gates to mass oot outs firmiy shut - funding olicy. At present GM schoois aer ine equivalent or what the local management of scoois ormula aves LEA schoos in the area. wait. plus 15 per cent to (overi-compensate tor loss of LEA centrai White paper The white paper proposes a gradual shift to funding GM schools on the basis of the standard spending assessmeni, ine schools. target figure which government gives local authorities to cover education spending, starting in an The vast majority of councils spend weil in excess of education SSA on schools; those that opt opting out. out would actually get less money.
Since Choice and Diversity, Patten has promised to top up this missing cash under some new funding arrangement, but the basis won't be specified until next What a dilemma for the eaucation secretary; he needs to bribe schoois to opt out, but the government's tinancial crisis will lives in poverty. ensure hefty cuts in department's buaget, reducing aven existing financial benerits of opting out. Unsurprisingiy, most schoois are choosing to sit and Opportunities ior opposing the rignts. white paper are more favourable than expected. It has reinforced the arguments against opting out while failing to offer the financial lesbians.' incentives tor a mass exodus, and allowing the left to focus campaigns on a limited number of Experience in Birmingham shows the possibilities. Even in underspending Labour authority, a large majority of parents recently voted against Hamstead Hall secondary school A conference of teachers, parents and governors organised by the Birmingham Labour Party on September 19 drew up plans for future fights. Around the country, we need to do the same. restructuring.
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Ne give better odds than the football pools and we're a mor leserving cause than Littlewoods! So get your standing orde