The Student Room Group

Consevatives u turn on forced academisation!

Fantastic news. Well done to all politicians and teachers, including numerous Tories who fought against this disastrous policy.
It's a shame people didn't oppose Gove's reforms the way they've opposed forced academisation. That vile man ruined our education system.
Tories are laying off with their idealogical changes because they are upsetting to many people.

To be fair the Conservatives are their own worst enemy. They've allowed Sadiq Khan to be mayor due to being the nasty party.

The reverse cuts to Personal Independence Payments and Ian Duncan Smith resigning.

This Conservative Government is pure idealogical. Just wait until the FTSE100 dives again because Osborne will start pushing the rhetoric that its the poor and disabled fault etc.
It's not a victory. I don't believe for a moment that they expected it to go through. This was a smokescreen.
Original post by Davij038
It's not a victory. I don't believe for a moment that they expected it to go through. This was a smokescreen.


A smokescreen for what?
Original post by ByEeek
A smokescreen for what?


The EU drama
A poor budget/ growth
Election overspending

Anything really
Why are people against Academys? I've read about all the people that are angry about it, and I'm sure there're valid reasons. Can someone sum them up for me?
Reply 7
Original post by smartboomer
Why are people against Academys? I've read about all the people that are angry about it, and I'm sure there're valid reasons. Can someone sum them up for me?


Academies may or may not be "a good thing". But forcing all schools into becoming one was plain crazy.
Why was it crazy?
Reply 9
Original post by smartboomer
Why was it crazy?


Why force all to change? If it's not broken...
Tories basically want everything privatized. Academies are basically self governing institutions which can use their school funding how they see fit.

So if they want to hire teachers at min-wage they can do so. And lots of other things too.
Original post by smartboomer
Why are people against Academys? I've read about all the people that are angry about it, and I'm sure there're valid reasons. Can someone sum them up for me?


Academies take schools out the democratic control and oversight of local authorities and give them to private firms.
Original post by smartboomer
Why are people against Academys? I've read about all the people that are angry about it, and I'm sure there're valid reasons. Can someone sum them up for me?


It is complex. Originally failing schools were converted and with it given massive amounts of money and freedom to make big changes. Since then many successful schools or grant maintained schools have converted in order to take advange of freedoms in order to provide excellence. However others are sponsored by business or orgisations that don't necessarily have excellence of education at heart. Because academies are run as businesses some have cut costs by employing non-qualified teachers on salaries well below the NQT salary. There is also an issue of governance in some instances where schools are closed but no one really knows why. Then there was the scandal where the chief exec managed to skim hundreds of thousands in salary and benefits. There is nothing to stop academies becoming selective with their intake or sacking teachers with impunity. But worst of all, as a parent or pupil, you would be unaware of the corners being cut in order to boost profits and cut costs in education. There is also no evidence that academy status raises standards. It is good for some schools but not all and especially not small schools.
Original post by ByEeek
It is complex. Originally failing schools were converted and with it given massive amounts of money and freedom to make big changes. Since then many successful schools or grant maintained schools have converted in order to take advange of freedoms in order to provide excellence. However others are sponsored by business or orgisations that don't necessarily have excellence of education at heart. Because academies are run as businesses some have cut costs by employing non-qualified teachers on salaries well below the NQT salary. There is also an issue of governance in some instances where schools are closed but no one really knows why. Then there was the scandal where the chief exec managed to skim hundreds of thousands in salary and benefits. There is nothing to stop academies becoming selective with their intake or sacking teachers with impunity. But worst of all, as a parent or pupil, you would be unaware of the corners being cut in order to boost profits and cut costs in education. There is also no evidence that academy status raises standards. It is good for some schools but not all and especially not small schools.

Excellent post.
They are simply a money making scheme.
Original post by Bornblue
Excellent post.
They are simply a money making scheme.


I think that is a bit disingenuous. There are some academies out there that deliver true excellence for their students. But the move behind the Tories plan to force schools is about control. At present non academies are controlled by local authorities. Local authorities are not directly controlled by the government so by making all schools academies the government get to make a massive land grab of education. And yes, a lot of tax payers money will end up in private pockets.

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