Academies privatise education

10.27.51pm GMT Wed 22nd Nov 2006

Telscombe Cllr Liz Lee writes in today's Argus:

The article "Academy may open before school moves" (The Argus, November 14) states the proposed Falmer Academy could open a year early.

What would we get from this academy? Academies typically cost the state about £25 million.

However, for a promise of £2 million, sponsors have a say in the curriculum and the right to appoint the governing body which, typically, includes only one parent and one teacher - in contrast to community and maintained schools where parents make up at least a third of the governing body.

In law, academies are not "maintained", as most of our schools are, but "independent", so none of the provisions which apply to maintained schools apply directly to them.

Legal protections built up during more than half a century of education and human rights legislation apply to parents and children at maintained schools.

Those at academies, however, only have such rights as are written into the funding agreements drawn up between the education department and the private sponsors, in which parents have no say.

While these agreements vary between academies, they have one thing in common - their exact content is unknown until they are signed and sealed.

The model funding agreement constitutes a significant dilution of rights in relation to admissions, special education needs, exclusions and religious education.

Campaign for State Education (CASE) and other organisations have asked the Government to carry out a full assessment of the effectiveness of academies. They have turned this down and continue to roll out the academies programme - the target is 200 by 2010.

Why does Brighton and Hove City Council not apply to the Government's Building Schools for the Future fund and build a new community school at Falmer, one which would be accountable to the elected local authority?

Liz Lee, CASE