First free schools will open next September
James Forsyth 11:43pm
Tomorrow’s Guardian front page says Michael Gove dealt fresh blow as only 20 'free schools' approved. But this is actually not a bad rate of progress.
The 20 refers only to the new schools that will open in September 2011, more will open in 2012 and 2013 and so on. One would expect the numbers to increase as momentum behind the programme builds. As soon as parents see what these schools can do, there’ll be greater demand for them.
Ed Balls is out tonight with a typically pugnacious statement claiming that this proves that parents don’t want free schools. But it is worth remembering that Tony Blair, a man who knows a thing or two about what the public want, goes out of his way to praise Tory school plans in his autobiography.
I suspect that by 2015 Labour will either have to accept these free schools or hand the Tories an electorally potent appeal to the parents of children at the expanding number of these establishments, vote Tory or risk having Labour take your child’s school away.
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Clear Memories
September 4th, 2010 5:42am Report this commentLabour can forget 2015. Not only will there be the many academies predicted but the huge tidal wave of immigrant infants reported this summer will have descended on the education sector.
Already this year there are far to few places. The deadwood media are trying to blame middle class parents unable to afford school fees as a result of the recession and showing photos of little blonde-haired lovelies to bolster this false line.
Any fool with eyes can see the problem outside schools in every major population centre in the UK - pavements knee-deep in non-English speakers, the national/religious dress from every (poverty stricken) corner of the planet, hostile stares at those who allowed them to bluff their way into the UK on the false claim of asylum and now realising the mistake.
As with the financial situation and the pain attached to resolving that, Cameron and Co. must ensure that, as the education system collapses and fewed & fewer get the education they feel their children deserve, Labour are placed firmly in the firing line and made to answer at the ballot box for their deliberate swamping immigration policy (remember? to rub the rights nose's in it)
Sadly, the whole nation, including immigrants, will suffer for that policy.
Alexander
September 4th, 2010 7:24am Report this commentLabour is so yesterday - the aim of the Coalition should be to make Labour an historical footnote.
Victor Southern
September 4th, 2010 9:02am Report this commentTwenty actually opening so soon after the scheme was launched seems to be a huge achievement. Imagine - the group getting together, the planning, finding premises and teachers, getting the funds all in so few days, a few short weeks.
The Guardian is not an organ of influence at all - it changes no opinions for its readers. It is simply and solely an anti-Conservative publication.
Only the errant wavering and rotating opinions of Polly Toynbee make it even worthy of note. As for the rest - a diet of unremitting cold porridge served up to a group of people intent on maintaining serfdom in the UK whilst pretending to be saviours of their poor client voters.
DavidDP
September 4th, 2010 9:11am Report this commentEven if the number is small it doesn't matter. The point of the policy is to have the choice available, not to force people to do it.
Labour simply can't get their heads round government policy that isn't diktat.
Mark M
September 4th, 2010 9:20am Report this comment"I suspect that by 2015 Labour will either have to accept these free schools or hand the Tories an electorally potent appeal to the parents of children at the expanding number of these establishments, vote Tory or risk having Labour take your child’s school away."
A brilliant point. Whether you agree with it or not, Labour is "the party of the NHS". The number of votes this title is worth exceeds anything that actual good policy can bring.
The Tories need their flagship - and 'Labour would take us back to the education dark ages' is as good a statement as any.
Dave B
September 4th, 2010 9:42am Report this commentHarry Phibbs had a good piece on ConHome, where he identified building regs as the big problem for people wanting to open a new school.
KB
September 4th, 2010 3:42pm Report this commentThe number isn't as important as the fact that new entrants to the education marketplace will change the landscape for all. In fact, the size of the LEAs will be their undoing - one free school anywhere within an LEA will change the attitudes of all its schools.
Free schools are David Cameron's council houses. It will permanently realign a whole generation of voters.
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