Is Gove moving towards profit-making Free Schools?

According to the Sunday papers, Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Education has indicated that he would back free schools being run for profit, which at the moment is not permitted. A group of parents in Brandon, Suffolk, is in the process of setting up a free school, and has asked a Swedish company to manage [...]

Toby Young says Private Schools should not be abolished

Last night the Oxford Union debated the motion, “This House would Abolish Private Schools”. As usual, there was an impressive list of speakers.   Kevin Brennan MP, the Shadow Schools Minister;  James Westhead of Teach First;  and John Brennan, Director of the Centre for Higher Education Research and Information;  spoke for the motion.   Graham Stuart [...]

Jonathan Hill to speak at CES meeting

We are very pleased that Jonathan Hill, now Lord Hill of Oareford CBE, has accepted our invitation to speak at a CES Meeting. Lord Hill was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools in May 2010.   He was an adviser to Conservative Ministers at the Department of Employment, Trade & Industry, and Health in the [...]

YouGov poll shows parents like idea of free schools

The NUT commissioned a survey from YouGov about parents’ reaction to the government’s free schools policy.   They claim that it shows there is no public support for free schools, and Christine Blower, the General Secretary of the NUT, appeared on the Today programme this morning to say just that. In fact, as Toby Young has [...]

Toby Young should be applauded not hated

There’s an excellent piece in Ed West’s Telegraph blog today, entitled “Why do people hate Toby Young?  Because he believes in education not indoctrination”.     Here’s the link to the whole article. Toby, I’m sure you know, is one of the first to be working to set up a Free School, and there was a television [...]

More support for the “free” schools idea

Cristina Odone came to prominence when she was Editor of the Catholic Herald, and now she is Deputy Editor of the New Statesman.  But the views she expresses in a critique of  “An End to Factory Schools” are hardly likely to endear her to the New Statesman. Instead she writes approvingly of the publication just out from [...]

What works in Education Reform? asks Eamonn Butler

Dr Eamonn Butler has written this piece on the Adam Smith Institute website, which looks at proposals to change the system of schools, and asks, “What works in EducationReform?” He seems to like the Swedish system suggested by Michael Gove, but notes no selection is allowed, and asks why can’t the providers make a profit.   He [...]

New Schools – a popular policy and successful in other countries

The main plank of the Conservatives’ education policy is giving parents and others the chance to set up new schools, which, though funded by the state and not charging fees, are independent schools, free to set their own curriculum and manage their own admissions. It is clear from polls and public reaction that the idea [...]

Some recent education stories from press and internet

The lasting guarantee of a decent education  -  We owe our national curriculum to Matthew Arnold.   It would be folly to lose it, says David Conway in the Daily Telegraph (4-1-10) Conway, the author of ‘Liberal Education and the National Curriculum’, published by Civitas, says critics of the national curriculum  seem curiously unaware that the [...]

Cameron launches Party’s Draft Manifesto for Education

David Cameron: We need urgent action to improve our schools Rt Hon David Cameron MP, Monday, January 18 2010    Since the New Year, we have been setting out our argument for the election. We want to make this the year for change. We can’t go on like this, and we need change to get the [...]

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 [...]

Reform Please – by John Redwood

John Redwood MP has kindly allowed us to reproduce this piece which he published on his own website yesterday.   As ever, he comes up with some views that are worthy of further thought and comment. “Let me upset all those of you who think the state should carry on delivering services badly so we can all [...]