Local MP fights alongside NUT against Coalition Government’s plans for schools
MP for Hemsworth, Jon Trickett has been working extensively with the National Union of Teachers both in Wakefield and at the national level to oppose the Conservative and Liberal Democrat plans to massively extend academies.
Mr Trickett has tabled an Early Day Motion on the Academies Bill, which the Coalition is trying to push through Parliament on the following lines:
That this House notes with serious concern and rejects the Secretary of State for Education's proposals to expand the number of academies by conferring on all school governing bodies the right for their school to become an academy without proper consultation with parents, school staff or the local authority; notes the Secretary of State for Education's recent invitation to all schools deemed outstanding to become academies; and believes these plans will result in further disadvantage to already disadvantaged children and families, and raise fundamental issues such as loss of local democratic accountability, excessive cost, lack of fairness and administrative confusion.
Jon Trickett said:
The primary issue with the Bill is the sheer lack of consultation with parents, teachers and the community. The Academies Bill will allow the Board of Governors of a school to push through academy status of a school over the summer holidays without even talking to parents or teachers of the school.
The Labour Government introduced academies to target money into disadvantaged areas such as Hemsworth and improve educational standards. My concern with the Coalition’s proposals is that this is the first step to privatising education and turning schools into profit-making organisations.