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Education chief Cllr Lucy Anderson |
Education dossier sent to Whitehall
Labour group steps up pressure for
school reforms
LABOUR councillors stepped up their rebellion against the
government’s planned education reforms by sending ministers
a file of objections on Thursday.
The dossier is Camden Council’s official response to the
Education Bill currently being promoted by the government.
The New Journal revealed last week how the Town Hall has ripped
up its traditionally warm relationship with Whitehall in order
to campaign for amendments.
The Labour group in Camden is adamant that there should be no
pupil selection power for schools and no new Trust schools or
City Academies in the borough.
That battle cry has been followed up with the dossier to education
secretary Ruth Kelly.
The response, filed under the names of education chief Councillor
Lucy Anderson and social services supremo Councillor Geethika
Jayatilaka, said: “We have deep concerns about how the
White Paper proposals for school organisation would work in
London.
“We are very concerned about the White Paper proposal to
give all schools the option to become their own admissions authority,
determine their admissions criteria, and expand their number
of places at will, without any reference to their local community’s
needs, or the needs and aspirations of other schools in their
local area.
“This could potentially cut across many of our Local Authority
key strategies, such as the focus on neighbourhood renewal and
community cohesion initiatives.”
The file added: “We do not understand how this autonomy
at a school level in determining the number of school places
fits with the duty still placed on local authorities to ensure
that there are the right number of places in their area, and
their ‘new duty to promote choice, diversity and fair access.’
“We believe that the local authority not only has a strategic
leadership role in planning school places but also plays a key
role in ensuring that the wider local best interests are served.”
The proposed reforms will be discussed at a Town Hall meeting
on Tuesday. |
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