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10 March 2006
Dear Ruth
As I’ve not yet had replies to my three letters on the Education Bill I’d like to sum up my concerns about it before the debate and vote on the fifteenth in the hope that you will have time to give some thought to answering the questions I have been asking. My central concern is “what is in it for Grimsby?” or, more broadly, North East Lincolnshire? It may offer a lot to pushy parents in London. I don’t, however, see much benefit for an area of educational disadvantage or for the young people in my constituency. It’s up to you to allay these doubts and the puff pastry published so far doesn’t do so.
First. All the claims about preventing selection look hollow unless Eleven Plus selection is abolished. This hits us because parents opt for Lincolnshire’s selective schools across the border. Between 100 and 150 kids a day go there, draining away ability and pushy parent power which should be applied in North East Lincolnshire. If choice now becomes the paramount consideration this flow must increase unless something is done.
Second. I think you’ll find that the more Labour the area, the more people rely on the local authority, the Heads and the schools to provide good education in the local school rather than on the fashionable gimmicks of “setting schools free” “outside support” or “parent power”. Parent power is not a major feature here. It is difficult to get parent governors. My guess is that parents’ committees would be impossible to man. Paying governors, though not out of school funds, is essential.
Third. We are to have three Academy Schools. Steve Chalke of Oasis says the mission of his two schools will be to improve the education of underprivileged children and I admire his sincerity. If, however, the Academies and some better performing existing schools, such as Toll Bar, are to improve their league table placings, as all will want to (particularly the Academies to show value) in the competitive situation the Bill creates, then it can only be by attracting more able pupils and growing. That inevitably means draining ability away from the other schools. These have been improving substantially (as, too, have the schools designated for Academies). I don’t want to see that progress threatened in any way.
Fourth. The Trust Schools (now renamed) look very messy. There is no reason to give outside interests of any kind control of schools and a majority of the governors just to get them involved. As it is they look like Academies on the cheap. Scale of influence must be geared to scale of contribution. Moreover, who is likely to establish Trust Schools in deprived areas like North East Lincolnshire? My guess would be that the prestige players will go for the better off areas, creating a post code Trust system. If the Department believes in the value of Trusts and their as yet unproven benefits, then it must ensure that valued prestige contributors – Microsoft, PCW and, more importantly, universities and colleges - are fairly distributed across the country so that Dulwich, Harrogate, Cheltenham and their ilk are not thronging with top drawer Trusts while North East Lincolnshire, Rotherham or Bradford get dog ends. Indeed, if Trusts are so beneficial they should be concentrated in the deprived areas. Will you be doing this? If not why not?
Fifth. In an area like ours the LEA needs an expanded, not a reduced, role. To ensure fairness it would seem essential that the LEA control admissions policy rather than the schools. Exempting Academies and Trust Schools as was first proposed is a licence for them to select the best and the brightest. On the other hand, the LEA can ensure that all take their fair share of SEN and free dinner children and that all operate the same exclusion rules (and proportions) to stop the creation of dumping grounds.
Only the local authority has an overview of the needs and problems of the area and only the LEA can ensure that fairness prevails.
I need urgent answers to these problems and your views on what the Bill will do to help North East Lincolnshire in these difficult areas. If this looks like a late request it isn’t. The questions were put weeks ago and still haven’t been answered.
Yours sincerely
AUSTIN MITCHELL |
