The Tories and schools: welcome to chaos

By James Valentine

Yet again education is a political battleground and it’s worth examining the Tory thinking about schools. They see little future for conventional state schools, which are “bureaucratic”. Head teachers are seen as battling against the forces of the State. Once they are set free then, hey presto, wonderful schools will arise. Basically, that’s it.

The argument is based on Labour’s Academy programme which has, in part, been successful. By opening up this programme to parents’ groups, the thinking goes, then new “free schools” will arise, solving the problem of getting your children into the best local school and achieving private-standard education for all.

I was intrigued to read a recent article by a journalist who’s attempting to start a free school in West London at the moment. He’s a decent middle-class guy who wants his children to do Latin up to age 16 and wear school uniforms, who would prefer not to cough up school fees.

Some people might make fun of this perfect Guardianista, but I don’t. The problem is, his organisation appears to be struggling before it’s even got off the ground (even though the DCSF is helping). And Latin is the easy bit. What about science facilities? They cost a great deal. What about sports, music and drama? In order to get a decent secondary school going then you’re talking big investments.

That’s where the Tory arguments start to unravel. Academies get most of their capital money (£20 million or so) from the DCSF. How many purely voluntary groups would have these sorts of financial resources? The argument was originally based on Sweden where “free schools” have proved popular, but they’re allowed to make a profit – and as their originator has pointed out, this wouldn’t work in the UK.

Somehow, Michael Gove implies, the schools will still come forward on a wing and a prayer. They will be cheap because planning laws, and even building regulations, will be relaxed. Some Swedish free schools rent commercial office space for this purpose. Gove criticises the Government’s Building Schools for the Future programme – which provides state of the art, architect-designed schools – for being too expensive. But is cheap and cheerful what parents really want?

By contrast, Labour – while welcoming diversity and local initiatives – recognises that the State has the ultimate responsibility to push up standards. Hence, for example, Ed Balls’ plans set out in the Queens Speech to formalise pupils’ rights.

Parents, however aspiring, should carefully consider whether they wish to abandon Labour realism for the Tory madhouse.