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The Socialist 7 April 2010 |
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'Free schools' or free-for-all?
THE LABOUR government and the Tory opposition have virtually identical policies on selling off schools. Both Tweedledum and Tweedledumber propose that throughout the country local schools will be taken over by private companies which will then be able to sell services such as consultancy to the schools.
Derek McMillan
Both major parties have sought to cover this cheap sell-off of public assets by insisting that the schools "will not be run for profit" - and I am the Queen of Sheba!
Indeed The Times let the cat out of the bag on 1 April (and they insist it was not a joke): "Michael Gove, the shadow schools secretary, has not specified how new school operators would be vetted but has said that the system would be simpler than at present. He has indicated that profit-driven companies should not be allowed to set up schools, but several Tory officials have told The Times that this barrier would be removed after the election once the 'free schools' policy had been shown to work."
This is interesting in many ways. The policy of free schools "will be shown to work" - they already know the outcome of the experiment. Are they using crystal balls?
Teachers will regard it as amusing that something in education is being made simpler - but apparently only the rules for who can run schools. Look forward to your local McSchool!
The teachers' unions are united in opposition to this programme. The experience of teachers and support staff has been that the takeover of schools has led to a worsening of the conditions of service. And our conditions of teaching are your child's conditions of learning. That is why parents and teachers have fought united campaigns against the sell-off of education.
This will need to be stepped up whichever canaille wins the general election. The Mayor of Barrow found out the hard way that when parents unite against an academy, the political elite can be unseated. Only a party of the working class can stop this disgrace in its tracks.
In this issue
 Defend jobs and services - Fight for a workers' alternative - Vote TUSC
General Election 6 May: A Socialist Challenge
Socialist Party editorial
Mobilise to defend the right to strike
London Underground workers balloting
Socialist Party election campaign
Stand up for the millions, not the millionaires!
Reject the parties of cuts and privatisation
Socialist Campaign launched in Coventry
New Labour meltdown in Stoke
Making an impact in Huddersfield
Hazel Must Go! opposes cuts to Salford NHS
Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
Socialist Party campaigns
Cuts bite in north west
March to defend the welfare state
Tories reveal yet more anti-gay bias
'Free schools' or free-for-all?
News in brief
Socialist Party workplace news
NUT conference again calls for action on workload
Ex-Visteon workers continue fight for pensions
Industrial news in brief
Socialist Students
Mobilise students and workers to defeat cuts and tuition fees
International socialist news and analysis
Kazakhstan: "change the politicians - or they will change you!"
Mass protests and strikes continue to shake Algeria
Tekel workers brutally attacked by police
Comment
The real lessons of the poll tax
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