Academies programme slammed by teaching unions

Released 01/09/2010

As the number of schools converting to academy status this term is revealed, unions claim programme has not caught the imagination

The government's Academy programme has been branded a failure by leading teachers unions.

The National Union of Teachers (NUT) said the low take demonstrates that the scheme has not "caught the imagination" of school leaders.

As the new school term gets under way, only 32 new-style academies are to launch. The government originally said the number of schools that expressed an interest in becoming an academy was 2,000, although this number was later reduced to 150 applications.

Education Secretary Michael Gove has defended the latest figures, saying he was "quite encouraged".

GREAT MISTAKE

Christine Blower general secretary of the NUT, the largest teachers' union, said: "For a policy that was supposed to be a flagship change for education, it is something of a failure to have so few schools opening at this stage.

"It was a great mistake to rush through legislation enabling schools to change for the new term and the Government is paying the price for their indecent haste.

"The Academies programme has simply not caught the imagination of school leaders, teachers and parents. This large scale rejection of Academies indicates that schools do not see the benefits of such an unnecessary upheaval and wish to remain within the local, democratic family of schools.

"While there is no conclusive evidence that Academies improve education, what we do know is that their lack of accountability and their draining of local authority education funding will have a dramatic impact on children and young people receiving the same standard of education regardless of the school's status.

"The Government has been given a clear message; the breakup of the state education system in England is not wanted. They now need to re-focus their divisive education policies and return to the aim of achieving a good local school for every child operating within the local authority family of schools."

FAILED TACTICS

Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT, welcomed the fact that only small number of schools would be converting, saying the government "had misjudged the situation and its tactics have failed".

Keates said: "The collusion and subterfuge in which the coalition government has engaged with some headteachers and governing bodies to keep their intention to convert their schools into academies from parents, staff and the public is disgraceful.

"Education is a public service. Schools are held and managed in trust for parents and the public. The idea that a handful of governors or an individual headteacher can make such a serious and irreversible decision without having consulted fully with staff, parents and the local community will shock all right minded people.

"It is likely that some parents will only find out their school has changed its status when the list is published.

"However, despite the unacceptable tactics to seek to tempt schools into becoming academies and repeated claims by the Secretary of State for Education of widespread interest in academy status, only a handful of schools it seems will convert on 1 September."

Keates added: "Those promoting academy status are bankrupt of strong, persuasive arguments. Assertions of vast amounts of additional money for academies have proved to be gross exaggerations."

IT WILL TAKE TIME

Despite the criticism, Mike Harris, head of education and skills policy at the Institute of Directors (IOD), said patience was needed as change "will not happen overnight".

"Employers share the widespread sense of urgency to improve the education system," said Harris.

"The Government has set out a bold reform programme to introduce more competition and autonomy into education. Whilst the fruits of these reforms cannot come soon enough, as continuing weaknesses in literacy and numeracy demonstrate, reform will not happen overnight. To expect otherwise is, frankly, silly."

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