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Tories plan primary 'academies' Tory plans for primaries attacked
(about 1 hour later)
A Tory government would give primary schools in England more control over the way they are run - in a similar way to city academies, the party has said. Unions and ministers have hit out at Conservative Party proposals to give primary schools more control over the way they are run.
Education spokesman Michael Gove's plan is to give successful primaries more freedom from council control and power over curriculum, budget and hours. Education spokesman Michael Gove said primaries in England would get more freedom from council control and power over curriculum, budget and hours.
But Children's Minister Beverley Hughes said it was not financially possible. Children's Minister Beverley Hughes said it was not financially possible.
And teaching union, the NASUWT, said the policy was "a blueprint for the dismantling of state education". Teaching union the NUT has likened the plan to Labour's secondary city academies, which it says are failing.
'Driving up standards' NUT National Executive member Kevin Courtney said: "When you study these schools, [they] are improving their results by changing pupil population so that social segregation is coming in again.
Mr Gove says that within two years of a Conservative election victory primary schools would be able to apply for academy status. "That's what we're worried about with this Tory proposal. It's a return to deregulation and privatisation and a return to social segregation."
We need reform to begin almost from day one Michael Gove,Tory education spokesman
NASUWT general secretary Chris Keates added: "Having already announced academies will be the norm for secondary schools, this proposal for primary schools completes the Tories' blueprint for the dismantling of state education.
"These plans are the naked marketisation of education and will place thousands of children and young people at the mercy of private, voluntary and independent providers."
Mr Gove said that within two years of a Conservative election victory primary schools would be able to apply for academy status.
He told the BBC the academies system needed to be extended to primary schools to help disadvantaged students.He told the BBC the academies system needed to be extended to primary schools to help disadvantaged students.
We need reform to begin almost from day one Michael Gove, Tory education spokesman
The Conservatives announced last year that they would allow the 400 top performing state secondary schools in England to become independent but state-funded academies free from government control.The Conservatives announced last year that they would allow the 400 top performing state secondary schools in England to become independent but state-funded academies free from government control.
Ahead of the Conservative's Spring Forum in Cheltenham this weekend, Mr Gove said: "Academy freedoms for secondary schools have already helped thousands of disadvantaged children by driving up standards in the state sector.
Mr Gove said philanthropists would be allowed to set up schoolsMr Gove said philanthropists would be allowed to set up schools
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "One of the big problems we have in education at the moment is that children from poorer background are falling further and further behind children from more fortunate backgrounds. Ahead of the Conservative's Spring Forum in Cheltenham this weekend, Mr Gove said: "Academy freedoms for secondary schools have already helped thousands of disadvantaged children by driving up standards in the state sector.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "One of the big problems we have in education at the moment is that children from poorer backgrounds are falling further and further behind children from more fortunate backgrounds.
"And they start falling behind right at the very moment they start their education. So we need reform to begin almost from day one they cross the threshold of the primary school."And they start falling behind right at the very moment they start their education. So we need reform to begin almost from day one they cross the threshold of the primary school.
"We need to do everything possible to ensure the DNA of the academy programme, which has been successful in driving up standards, is transferred to the very beginning of schooling.""We need to do everything possible to ensure the DNA of the academy programme, which has been successful in driving up standards, is transferred to the very beginning of schooling."
Charity takeovers
Mr Gove also announced his party would allow community groups, charities, philanthropists and education federations to set up new primary schools.Mr Gove also announced his party would allow community groups, charities, philanthropists and education federations to set up new primary schools.
Local authority-run schools with consistently poor results would also be taken over by organisations behind successful academy schools - such as the ARK charity, the Mercers Company and the Harris Federation, he said.Local authority-run schools with consistently poor results would also be taken over by organisations behind successful academy schools - such as the ARK charity, the Mercers Company and the Harris Federation, he said.
These plans are the naked marketisation of education Chris KeatesNAS/UWT general secretary 'Budget cuts'
Mr Gove accused the government of letting children down. He highlighted "official figures" that show four out of 10 children leave primary school in England unable to read, write and add up.Mr Gove accused the government of letting children down. He highlighted "official figures" that show four out of 10 children leave primary school in England unable to read, write and add up.
He also said 34,000 11-year-olds had a reading age below that expected of a six-year-old.He also said 34,000 11-year-olds had a reading age below that expected of a six-year-old.
Schools Minister Jim Knight said: "This announcement is risky, ill-thought through and will send a chill down the spines of parents and teachers around the country. Children's Minister Beverley Hughes said: "The costs of this would be very large indeed, and of course at a time when the Tories are going to try and cut school budgets anyway, I think schools will be worried about the impact on their budgets."
"Our priority in primary education is to get schools working together to make budgets go further, improve leadership and extend specialist teaching so that all children master the basics and no child falls behind."
'Highly dangerous'
Children's Beverley Hughes said: "We've looked at it and the costs of this would be very large indeed, and of course at a time when the Tories are going to try and cut school budgets anyway, I think schools will be worried about the impact on their budgets. "
Children's Minister Beverley Hughes' reaction
She also said it was "highly dangerous" to talk about primary schools being able to abandon the national curriculum.She also said it was "highly dangerous" to talk about primary schools being able to abandon the national curriculum.
Meanwhile, NASUWT general secretary Chris Keates added: "Having already announced academies will be the norm for secondary schools, this proposal for primary schools completes the Tories' blueprint for the dismantling of state education." Children's Minister Beverley Hughes' reaction
She said: "These plans are the naked marketisation of education and will place thousands of children and young people at the mercy of private, voluntary and independent providers." Liberal Democrat schools spokesman David Laws said primaries should have greater freedom to innovate but that the Tory plan would apply to too few schools.
"[It] is also undermined by the inability to explain convincingly how underperforming academies would be held to account," he said.
"The Tories appear to reject a strong role for local authorities in driving up school standards."
A study for the Sutton Trust education charity concluded last year that academies should not be treated as a "cure-all" for England's educational problems because their performance varied widely.A study for the Sutton Trust education charity concluded last year that academies should not be treated as a "cure-all" for England's educational problems because their performance varied widely.