Link to this page: http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/701/13530
From The Socialist newspaper, 18 January 2012
Save community schools - no to academies
A Haringey Socialist Party member
Six hundred parents, teachers, governors and other local residents were at a meeting at Downhills primary school in Haringey, north London, to build the campaign to stop the school from becoming a 'forced academy'. The meeting had been called by the Haringey Anti Academies Alliance and the NUT teachers union.
David Lammy, Labour MP for Tottenham and a former student of the school, said: "There are 2,500 schools around the country, including 19 in Gove's own Surrey constituency, which are 'performing' worse than Downhills. Why has this school been picked to become an academy, along with three other primary schools in the borough?"
NUT general secretary Christine Blower spoke about the need to raise standards, not by forcing community schools to become academies, but by closer collaboration between schools, local authorities and the communities that they serve.
Fiona Millar, from the Local Schools Network, noted that forced academies flies in the face of the coalition government's 'big society' rhetoric. The community school has the backing of parents, governors and staff. The government wants to take it out of local authority control and hand it to a private organisation.
"Standards have improved in some academies. But in many cases that has been because the admissions policies were changed to keep out students from poorer backgrounds," said Fiona.
Alasdair Smith, from the Anti Academies Alliance, highlighted the difference between his Alliance's campaign and the Labour Party's: he was against academies on any basis - 'forced' or otherwise.
"We should be under no illusion. Gove wants many, many more schools to become academies. Education companies are lining up to take over 1,000 schools at a time, in order get their hands on the government funded academies."
Although Lammy called for continued support for the campaign, he also said that Gove should pick on other schools which have worse results than Downhills!
Teaching and learning improves when it is properly resourced. Smaller class sizes would have a massive impact on the effectiveness of classroom teachers.
There is no 'level playing field' in education. There has always been a two-tier system, since independent schools have been allowed to coexist with state schools.
If Gove's academies programme continues, it will create a base for the wholesale privatisation of state education.
The Downhills primary campaign has called a demonstration through Haringey on Saturday 28 January to build further support to stop forced academies.
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In The Socialist 18 January 2012:
Anti-cuts campaign
Pensions attacks can still be defeated
Labour leadership approves the Con-Dem cuts
Cameron's attack on Scottish independence referendum backfires
Welfare Reform Bill:- Lords compromise is no victory
Ofsted: "requires improvement"
John Lewis economy: another fantasy from Corporal Clegg
Socialist Party NHS campaign
Keep private vultures out of our NHS!
Youth fight for jobs
End the slave labour culture of workfare
Socialist Party workplace news
Electricians' national meeting plans next steps in battle against pay cut
Unilever workers say hands off our pensions
South Yorkshire Stagecoach bus drivers take eighth day of strike action
Doctors support call for action
Obituary
Rob Windsor: socialist fighter and Coventry Socialist Party councillor 1964-2012
Socialist Party feature
1972 Derry - "this was murder"
Socialist Party campaigns
EDL intimidation fails in Barking
Save community schools - no to academies
Protect women's rights - oppose the abstinence bill
International socialist news and analysis
Greece: Non-payment movement against new housing tax
Irish 'poll tax' battle has begun
Nigeria: Fuel strike suspended
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