Academies 'will fragment education system'

Increasing the number of academies in England will fragment the education system, it has been suggested.

Alasdair Smith, national secretary of the Anti Academies Alliance, said the situation will accelerate the privatisation of education.

"The alternative is to support democratically elected local authorities to support individual schools to raise attainment by improving the quality of teaching and learning," he commented.

Mr Smith accused the government of failing to pay attention to the concerns of parents adding that they have "ridden roughshod over the school communities".

He described the academy consultation process as a "farce".

"The academies programme panders to the middle-class because it creates the impression that academies are a better sort of school. It also has echoes of the old grammar secondary-modern divide, which is a favourite of the Tory Party," Mr Smith said.

Figures published recently by the Department for Education revealed that over half a million young people in England now attend academies.

Posted by Dolcie Thacker



 

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