Preparations for a Conservative Education Bill

News stories published this week say that the party has begun drafting its first education bill ready for a rapid move by a new Conservative Government.

It will include, it is alleged, plans to fast-track new academies, to lessen the restrictions of the national curriculum and to do away with national pay deals for teachers.   A team of lawyers is said to be scrutinising recent Labour bills, and dafting a new bill which will set out the first parts of a reform programme for the education system.

While some in the national press will slam this as taking the election result for granted, it must surely be good management to be well prepared for what seems more and more likely to be a Conservative Government after the General Election.   It seems the education front bench team is trying to do as much as possible before the election so that they don’t have to spend a year working on these things once in government, but can proceed to legislation without undue delay.

The Party’s policy includes:-

making it easier for parents, charities and businesses to set up academies, including enabling them to use buildings such as former banks and offices;

Reforms to scale back the national curriculum and to move Sats from primary to secondary schools.

The scrapping of the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency and other quangos.

Allowing all schools to have freedom to set pay and conditions for teachers as academies do now, and making it easier for headteachers to dismiss under-performing staff.

The lawyers helping the Party have been asked to convert the policy into a bill and to identify existing legislation which will need to be scrapped to achieve it.

The Party is also drawing up guidance to schools on policies which will be withdrawn at once by a new Conservative Government.   An independent organization has already been set up to advise and help potential education providers on setting up “new academies”.