Worries on school plan
TWO interesting comments about free schools following the Weekly Essay you published on the topic, one in Daniel Owen's item ('We need to be top of the class in education', Journal, January 26) the other the letter from Dave Clinch ('Oppose free school plans', Journal, January 26)
My concern, echoing that of Mr Clinch, regards the qualifications needed to teach in a free school. He points out that "they do not have to employ qualified teachers".
As I understand it, this is similar to what is required – or not required, in the private sector. It makes me even more concerned about Education Secretary Michael Gove's comments in the Sunday Politics programme recently, where he seemed to be encouraging private schools to enter the free school area.
Indeed, the first school in the South West which looks likely to become a free school is actually a private school in Truro. What this seems to be suggesting is that ordinary taxpayers will now be paying for the education of those who would otherwise go to private schools.
That all makes me wonder about what would be the effect if the Route 39 school got the go ahead? In particular, would private schools from Bideford to Bude be affected, in the case of smaller schools, actually close down?
If that were to happen, we would then know for sure that the effect of this free school would be to have taken money from the state system to pay for private students in our area.
Our local authority school system is clearly under threat. It does make me wonder what Health Secretary Andrew Lansley will be doing to the NHS in the long term ?
MIKE RATH,
Barnstaple.
Comments
by dawnaur
Friday, February 03 2012, 8:29AM
“How refreshing that someone has at last raised a concern about the free school proposal. I hear lots of people talking about it but generally not publicly.
My concern relates to funding being removed from perfectly good secondary schools in the area but also to school transport for children in the rural areas of North Devon. Currently, children have funded transport to their nearest or designated school, for example, Bideford College or Budehaven, depending upon where they live. However, this could all change if the free school sets up and becomes nearer than either of those two. Suddenly, families could find they have no choice of where to send their children because they can't afford the bus fares to their chosen school if it is one of the established ones.
Devon County Council re-addresses its transport policy annually. In these times of austerity, it is quite possible that they may decide not only not to pay transport for children newly attending the current schools from 2013 but also their older siblings' (who are already established in schools and within friendship groups) transport costs. This could have a dreadful impact upon the vast majority of families and the education of their children.
There's lots of info out there about how to support a free school proposal but it is much harder to uncover how to raise objections to one. However, one method is to send your objections to the Dept of Education and here are the details. For anyone who is concerned, it is a way to make yourself heard:
Bonnie Wang
3rd Floor
Department for Education
Sanctuary Buildings
Great Smith Street
London
SW1P 3BT
Tel: 02073407717 (ext. 307717)
Bonnie.WANG@education.gsi.gov.uk”