Exceeding expectations
James Forsyth 3:44pm
Today’s Guardian has an interesting story on the success of the New School Network, an organisation set up to get parents’ to take up the opportunities offered by the Tories’ planned school reform. The Guardian reports that 200 parents groups and 100 groups of teachers are interested in setting up schools.
I suspect that take up of the Tories new schools will exceed expectations. One person involved with the New Schools Network told me recently that they would judge the policy a failure if it did not lead to the creation of a 1,000 new schools in the first two years.
From a political perspective, the problem for the Tories is that the nature of the scheme means that the Tories can’t pledge a new school in every constituency even though their plans will almost certainly lead to that. As one Tory strategist put it to me recently, their school reforms will be more useful in trying to win re-election than election.
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Stu
December 14th, 2009 4:04pm Report this commentThis is a real vote-winner for me. I'm what you guys might call a left-leaning pansy - but I really think that politics should be about advancing the life chances of those more unfortunate in society.
There are no downsides to this policy - and any left-leaning government should embrace these reforms.
Andy Leeds
December 14th, 2009 5:00pm Report this commentAbout time we had a chance to reform education, and this is a way to do it. Power to the parents where it should always have been, and destroy the LEAs and the teaching unions who have constantly opposed any sort of reform which would improve the lamentably low standards in our schools.
Frank S
December 14th, 2009 5:18pm Report this commentI don't get it, Stu, why would any leftie support such schools. They might lead to a well-educated population, and think of the damage that would do to the left? Scams such as the global warming one would not get off the ground, government budgets and salaries would not be bloated, windmills would not be defacing the landscape and the bills of the poor, jackanapes like Lord M would not be taken seriously, and so on.
No, I just don't get it. Perhaps you could explain what possible advantage there is in educating voting-fodder? They don't need it for jobs since there are not enough of them. They don't need it to collect the dole plus other benefits. Seems likely just to stir up all sorts of unrest if you ask me.
Silver Lining
December 14th, 2009 5:21pm Report this commentExcellent news - a policy that will actually have a meaningful impact on vast numbers of poorer families across Britain. Shame there's basically nothing else to look forward to from a Tory Government but there we are.
Holly ......
December 14th, 2009 8:15pm Report this commentSilver Lining.
Just depends what you are wanting,when you expect it and if it is doable.
Going by the Lib Dem rep on the Daily politics the Conservatives might as well just forget trying to get anything across to the electorate.
As long as the viewers are sitting back and letting this happen nothing will change.
Maybe a few holier than thou Lib Dem followers could kindly ask their lot to stop being so pig ignorant and let a person finish speaking instead of rambling on and continuously shouting over others.Then we might be able to hear what we are being offered.
The host left a lot to be desired for allowing this to go on.
TGF UKIP
December 14th, 2009 11:02pm Report this commentNow here we have to bear in mind that the senior Speccie hacks' favourite Clique member is Times journo Gove, who has it seems, a good fellow journo friend at The Guardian.
Now mention of the Guardian may help to give this some semblance of credence James, but I think most Coffee Housers will recognize well placed spin when they see it.
You What?
December 15th, 2009 8:54am Report this commentYes, the Guardian is a well known supporter of free market policies. That must be why they gave it a good hit. Good one.
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