Strangely enough, parents don’t want private companies and cranks running schools on the cheap with unqualified teachers
The British Humanist Association has warned that ‘free schools’ could create ethnic and religious enclaves, argued that they are not protected by enough educational regulation, and echoed concerns that substantive measures to counter-balance their ‘freedom’ in order to prevent against extremists running the schools are entirely lacking. It seems that many of the critics’ fears about educational quality of these largely unregulated schools is shared by parents and teachers.
Strangely enough, parents don’t want private companies and cranks running schools on the cheap with unqualified teachers,Coalition plans for a generation of “free schools” suffered a blow today as it emerged they were backed by a minority of parents.
Research found that just a quarter of adults wanted new-style schools run by parents and private companies in their area and the majority opposed proposals to give them extra independence.
The study by the National Union of Teachers also revealed that three-quarters of parents were unaware that a free school was being planned the local community.
The disclosure prompted claims that the reforms were “not wanted or needed” and that the Government was attempting to hide them from local families.
Free schools are among the Coalition’s most controversial education reforms. Under proposals, parents’ groups, charities, businesses and teachers can apply to open their own Government-funded school free of local council control.
The schools will be given more freedom than ordinary state schools, including the power to hire teachers without formal teaching qualifications.
