Cllr Warns Against Private Sector Involvement in Public Education (Kirklees Liberal Democrats)

Kirklees Liberal Democrats <info@kirkleeslibdems.org.uk>

Cllr Warns Against Private Sector Involvement in Public Education

October 17, 2006 5:17 PM

Cllr Roger Battye (Lib Dem, Dalton Ward) is concerned about private sector sponsors taking control of schools in Kirklees following the announcement that the authority intends to build two City Academies in the district if its Building Schools for the Future (BSF) bid to the Government is successful.

Cllr Warns Against Private Sector Involvement in Public Education

Cllr Battye says: "I am certainly not against improving education or schools in Kirklees but I am concerned about letting private sponsors run the show" (1).

Cllr Battye says: "I feel there is a significant lack of understanding amongst the public about what academies actually are. There is a lot of talk about huge investment and cutting edge facilities 'fit for the 21st century' but you have to read the small print."

Cllr Battye says: "And it appears that the Tory Administration isn't planning to help residents understand the real implications. The Council Leader said that they only intend to begin the debate once they have "received the green light" to progress their plans (2). Once again, local people are asked their opinion after the real decisions have already been made."

Cllr Battye says: "People must be aware that academies are a very different prospect from your typical state school. They involve the council transferring publicly funded assets, such as land and buildings, into the control of unnaccounatble private sector partners who are then responsible for maintaining and running the school. The sponsor can then decide who they employ, which pupils they will admit and what they will teach on the curriculum. "

Cllr Battye says: "Current and future parents across Kirklees should pay attention to this decision."

Cllr Battye says: "This could mean your child doesn't get a place at their local school because they don't meet the sponsor's admission criteria. It could mean that what they learn at school is set by individuals who are not accountable to the public".

Cllr Battye says: "The Tory Administration is allowing the government to tell it to set up academies and to let private sector sponsors take control otherwise there will be no investment for schools in Kirklees under BSF".

Cllr Battye concludes: "If money is there to help improve education in Kirklees, the government should give it to the local authority to spend. The Government should not be allowed to hold areas that want to keep control of their schools to ransom in this way".