It was moved by Councillor Keith and seconded by Councillor Hands:
Government proposals to enforce all state schools to become 'Academies' by 2020.
“The Council notes that the present proposals:
(a) remove the requirement for there to be parent governors, thus taking away the crucial voice of parents in the running of schools and the welfare of their children.
(b) are undemocratic, since they require schools to become academies without consulting the parents of each school concerned as to whether they would wish their children's schools to have their management arrangements altered in this manner.
(c) require a transfer of the process of monitoring and funding schools from local authorities from local education authorities to central government which will be remote and unfamiliar with the environment within which local schools operate.
(d) include an unprecedented land grab by central government in confiscating school land presently owned by councils and churches.
The Council notes the recent remarks by the Chief Inspector of Schools, who was previously an executive principal of an academy, that a number of multi-academy trusts have “manifested the same weaknesses” as the worst-performing local authorities and “offer the same excuses” while paying their Chief Executives monumental salaries as reward for manifest failure.
The Council expresses particular concern at the inability of the proposals to demonstrate an appropriate or adequate means of co-ordinating the provision of Special Needs education within any local area.
The Council instructs the Chief Executive to write on the Council's behalf to the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Education, with a copy to local MPs representing constituencies within the Borough, expressing the Council's deep reservations about the proposals and requesting that the Government should think again on the matter.”
An amendment was moved by Councillor Roche, seconded by Councillor O’Brien that the Motion be amended by the addition of the following text after Paragraph (d):
“(e) include the ending of the teacher education in Higher and Further education initiating the closure of departments and faculties of education. It will lead to a downgrading of the teaching profession and an assault on the standards of education offered to future generations.”
Councillor Keith indicated that she accepted the amendment and following further debate on the Substantive Motion, it was
RESOLVED:
Government proposals to enforce all state schools to become 'Academies' by 2020.
The Council notes that the present proposals:
(a) remove the requirement for there to be parent governors, thus taking away the crucial voice of parents in the running of schools and the welfare of their children.
(b) are undemocratic, since they require schools to become academies without consulting the parents of each school concerned as to whether they would wish their children's schools to have their management arrangements altered in this manner.
(c) require a transfer of the process of monitoring and funding schools from local authorities from local education authorities to central government which will be remote and unfamiliar with the environment within which local schools operate.
(d) include an unprecedented land grab by central government in confiscating school land presently owned by councils and churches.
(e) include the ending of the teacher education in Higher and Further education initiating the closure of departments and faculties of education. It will lead to a downgrading of the teaching profession and an assault on the standards of education offered to future generations.
The Council notes the recent remarks by the Chief Inspector of Schools, who was previously an executive principal of an academy, that a number of multi-academy trusts have “manifested the same weaknesses” as the worst-performing local authorities and “offer the same excuses” while paying their Chief Executives monumental salaries as reward for manifest failure.
The Council expresses particular concern at the inability of the proposals to demonstrate an appropriate or adequate means of co-ordinating the provision of Special Needs education within any local area.
The Council instructs the Chief Executive to write on the Council's behalf to the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Education, with a copy to local MPs representing constituencies within the Borough, expressing the Council's deep reservations about the proposals and requesting that the Government should think again on the matter.