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Government launches Free Schools initiative
18/06/2010
The Government has begun setting out plans to give parents, teachers, charities and community groups powers to set up new schools. These schools will be funded by the Government but will be outside of local authority control, with greater autonomy over teaching methods and the curriculum.
720 groups have already expressed an interest in setting up a free school, many of which are comprised of teachers, and it is expected that the first will be open by September 2011.
The intention is that these schools will address the education attainment gap between the rich and poor by giving parents greater choice within the state system. However, the plans have been criticised by teacher unions with concerns that these schools will take money away from existing schools.
General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), Christine Blower, has also raised concerns that these new schools may be allowed to be run for a profit. "Adopting such a business model to our schools will amount to the sweeping dismantling of our education system, turning it over to unaccountable, unelected companies."
The Government has begun setting out plans to give parents, teachers, charities and community groups powers to set up new schools. These schools will be funded by the Government but will be outside of local authority control, with greater autonomy over teaching methods and the curriculum.
720 groups have already expressed an interest in setting up a free school, many of which are comprised of teachers, and it is expected that the first will be open by September 2011.
The intention is that these schools will address the education attainment gap between the rich and poor by giving parents greater choice within the state system. However, the plans have been criticised by teacher unions with concerns that these schools will take money away from existing schools.
General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), Christine Blower, has also raised concerns that these new schools may be allowed to be run for a profit. "Adopting such a business model to our schools will amount to the sweeping dismantling of our education system, turning it over to unaccountable, unelected companies."
Groups:
