No to Falmer Academy

Fancy putting up a cash lump sum and running a school? You get the privilege of setting your own curriculum. What's that you say, you don’t have any qualifications or experience that might suggest you would have any idea of how to run a school? Don’t worry, you don’t need any! Also, the government helps out by throwing in an extra £20million, which you can decide to spend how you like.
 
As some of you might already be aware Brighton and Hove Council are trying to turn Falmer High School into a City Academy. As far as the government are concerned there is nothing bad to say about them (surprise surprise!)
 
“Academies are all-ability, state-funded schools established and managed by sponsors from a wide range of backgrounds, including high performing schools and colleges, universities, individual philanthropists, businesses, the voluntary sector, and the faith communities. Some are established educational providers, and all of them bring a record of success in other enterprises which they are able to apply to their Academies in partnership with experienced school managers” (Department for Children, Schools and Families). Unfortunately for the government - and more importantly, the children of the country - the above statement isn’t entirely accurate.
 
Academies are privatisation and marketisation of education in one of its most transparent forms. I think that ENS should really get behind the Brighton schools not 4 sale campaign. These plans are being ushered through on the back of completely inadequate, ineffective consultation (sound familiar?). Residents of the local area are being bribed with the promise of a cash investment into the academy. The real question to be asked here is, if the money is available for a new academy, why can’t the same money be injected into the current school. Which would allow for a far more democratic allocation by individuals who can be held accountable by the local area authority. Academies have been demonstrated to be a failed initiative and a costly exercise in how not to improve educational standards. Everyone; from government ministers and private investors have put their reputations on the line in trying to convince the public that academies are a good idea. However there is a growing anti academies movement, which is attempting to rally local communities into resisting the adoption of these ineffective academies. More information will follow soon but if you want more information on academies check out this website: http://www.antiacademies.org.uk/

 

Submitted by USSUed on Mon, 14/07/2008 - 12:32. categories [ ]

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