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Page 1 of 3 Next » | | The Academies Bill: What's next?26/07/10
Academies Bill: What's next?
The Academies Bill is generating much discussion recently, and with the possibility of the Bill being passed this week, the debate intensifies.
Concerns have been expressed that the Government is trying to rush this legislation through by adopting a compressed process whereby a panel of MPs debate the proposed law for a mere five hours. The reason this is gaining so much attention is that this process is generally only used for anti-terror laws or constitutional matters. It also raises the question of whether such a minimal amount of time is suitable when contemplating a bill that could have such an enormous affect on our education system?
Further concerns have been raised over the fact that this could lead to an elite proportion of schools. Feelings on this side of the fence are clearly strong. Ed Balls, former education secretary, opposing the process said: "I cannot remember a time when a major reform of public services was rushed through parliament in a way that's only normally done for emergencies like anti-terrorism legislation."
So what are the benefits of this? Those backing the Bill believe that if it is passed quickly it will allow schools to opt out of local authority control and become academies directly funded by central government by September of this year. It is said that it would allow more autonomy, freedom and flexibility to improve standards. In addition it could facilitate a greater level of curriculum control, improve outcomes for the disadvantaged, and potentially lead to better results.
It is the announcements this week which are being eagerly awaited that will reveal exactly what's next for academies, and what lies ahead for our ever changing education system. |
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