Set schools free? Gove really wants to interfere

By Jon Richards

Michael Gove says that the government is setting schools free and allowing them to make their own decisions. Yet he can’t help interfering in their running and telling Head Teachers how to do their jobs.

In his latest missive he has written to all local authorities to tell them how to break the forthcoming teachers strike. His advice? Temporarily re-define the definition of management and support staff are teachers to try to ensure that schools meet their statutory infant/staff ratios, change the curriculum, open late or close early and get all staff to cover for teachers. Written in terms that try to avoid a legal challenge, the bullying tone of the letter is clear – keep the schools open at all costs.

So rather than trying to solve the reasons behind the strike, he tries to undermine it so he can say that it didn’t have much effect anyway. Outrageous.

How will Heads take it? Up to now the government has played up to school leaders, handing them more powers and freedom. However pension scheme changes could hit them hard and their unions have been making threatening noises for some time.

UNISON is also holding back from taking industrial action at this time, but if the negotiations fail then we are highly likely to be out in the autumn.

And our advice to support staff is clear – don’t cover where it’s not in your contract, don’t get bullied into doing work that you are not trained for or carries health and safety risks, and support your striking colleagues at meetings and rallies where you can.

Unfortunately this letter might be the sign of things to come. So my suggestion to schools is to save up to buy a bigger shredder. Because if the Education Bill goes through in its current form, then previous duties and responsibilities held by local authorities will be transferred to Michael Gove. The forests that the government tried to sell off might end up being cut down anyway as Michael tells schools how to do it again and again.