The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, released before Christmas, reversed the decision that new schools could only be opened as academies. Why? Because local communities, education workers and pupils have noticed the worrying trend of privatisation in our education system. Where’s the accountability once a school is out of local authority control? No longer is a head teacher, governor and then the council, but instead a CEO. A CEO doesn’t need to have worked in a school or have had anything to do with educating children. A CEO who can top-slice funding and choose where it goes- new offices and CEO salaries, rather than frontline services in the education of our children. The new bill also pushes the Burgundy Book should be followed- exposing how many academies have been treating education workers and ignoring our hard-won rights and conditions. This decision is welcomed, but again will be on our shoulders to ensure that all support staff and teachers’ rights are protected.
We must continue to oppose privatisation and academisation in our education system!
Get in touch if your school is becoming part of an academy chain; transferring to a new MAT or becoming a stand-alone academy.
Please share and come along to the conference this Saturday (all expenses covered by Bristol NEU):
Educators Against Privatisation this Saturday
10.30-16.30
As restrictions on academy ‘freedoms’ are watered down in the Children & Wellbeing Bill and NEU prepares to ballot on pay & funding, it’s high time we got together to have a conversation about the impact of privatisation on our education system.
Be at Rich Mix on Saturday for an NEU district-led conference on the privatisation of education.
The nearest stations are Shoreditch High Street, Whitechapel & Bethnal Green