11 April 2016
The North Lincolnshire Green Party has called on local MPs and North Lincolnshire Council to oppose the forced academisation of state schools. The government recently announced that all state schools must become academies by 2020 or have plans to do so by 2022.
Academy status transfers land, assets and overall responsibility for school standards away from local authorities and into the hands of academy chain owners. Several Conservative led Councils have already spoken out against the proposed changes.
Spokesman Rick Taylor says, “This is yet another startling example of the Tories giving away democratic institutions to their friends to make a profit on. Schools will no longer be maintained by local authorities but controlled by Academy Chains via central government, in a similar way to how rail franchises are financed. This means that there is more impetus on cost cutting and penny pinching rather than concentrating on the important matters of educating our children.”
Many teachers have already raised the concerns with the forced academisation of schools, with fewer than 1 in 5 thinking that academies improve education and The North Lincolnshire Green party is concerned that the removal of governance from local authorities will make academy schools less accountable and less willing to improve standards.
Rick Taylor adds: “We are calling on our local area MPs and North Lincolnshire Council to stand up against this forced academisation which only serves to take accountability away from local democratically elected bodies. Academy chain CEO’s are picking up six figure salaries which is scandalous in an age when dedicated and drastically overworked teachers are seeing meagre pay rises. Increased class sizes and shrinking budgets will not improve our schools and we hope that our locally elected officials will stand with us on this damaging change to our education sector.”
*ENDS*
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-35814215 - Every school to become an academy by 2020
http://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/mar/24/conservative-councillors-angry-academy-plans-nicky-morgan - Conservative Councils speak out against Academy plans.
https://yougov.co.uk/news/2016/03/17/teachers-critical-academies/ - Just one in five teachers think academies improve education.
North Lincolnshire Council We are standing candidates for three seats in two wards on North Lincolnshire Council.
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