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******THIS IS AT 'SURVEY' STAGE ATM, SO JUST FYI******
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| Dear charity, Breaking news: the government wants to rush through plans to turn every state school in England into an academy.[1] They’re schools funded by taxpayers, but run by businesses, sponsors or trusts. [2] The government says their plan will cut down on bureaucracy and put local teachers in charge. [3] But critics say that too many academies provide poor education for kids, force schools to compete with each other like businesses, and give parents nowhere to turn when things go wrong. [4] The government wants to rush these plans through Parliament in a matter of days - so if we want to campaign on this, we need to act quickly. 38 Degrees belongs to all of us, and we make our best decisions together. So, should we campaign to stop the government’s plans? (PERSONAL VOTING OPTIONS HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR THIS POST - FYI ONLY) (My addition) We know that not all academy schools are bad. In fact, some have been shown to provide an excellent education for students. [5] But academies have been accused of poor working hours, undemocratic processes and watered-down curriculums. [6] Right now, the National Curriculum tells schools what they need to teach. It’s not perfect, but it makes sure that every child learns the basics: science, maths, English, and important issues like the Holocaust and climate change. But academies don’t need to follow the National Curriculum - so these new plans would mean the end of it. If enough of us vote to campaign on this, 38 Degrees members could do a lot together. We could throw our weight into stopping the government from rushing their plans through. Or we could campaign to improve them instead - by forcing the government to guarantee that no school will be privatised, for example, or giving parents more of a say. 38 Degrees members are a diverse bunch. We might not all agree about what’s best for our children or grandchildren’s education - but we’re strongest when we all work together. So we’ll only campaign on this if lots of us decide to. What do you think, charity? (PERSONAL VOTING OPTIONS HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR THIS POST - FYI ONLY) (My addition) Thanks for being involved, Lorna, Bex, Laura, Carlton and the rest of the 38 Degrees team PS: If you’d like to chat to other 38 Degrees members about academy schools, you can join the lively debate on the 38 Degrees Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/peoplepowerchange/posts/10156665277400788 NOTES: [1] The Guardian: Every english school to become an academy, ministers to announce: http://www.theguardian.com/education...rs-to-announce [2] Gov.uk: Types of school: https://www.gov.uk/types-of-school/academies Full Fact: Academies and maintained schools: what do we know?: https://fullfact.org/education/academies-and-maintained-schools-what-do-we-know/ [3] The Independent: every school will be forced to become an academy, Government to announce: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk...-a6932466.html [4] Here are a couple of articles on the effect of academies on making schools compete with each other. The Guardian: Academy schools mean more competition for schools - but must dog eat dog? http://www.theguardian.com/education...re-competition BBC: No proof academies raise standards, say MPs http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-30983081 Here’s an article about academies being criticised by school inspectors: The Guardian: Academy chains come under fire from OFSTED chief: http://www.theguardian.com/education...m-ofsted-chief Here’s an article on some of the problems of academies when it comes to accountability: Modern Governor: Academies - an accountability sinkhole? https://www.moderngovernor.com/academisation-accountability-deficit/#sthash.sj3IZwGU.dpbs [5] The Guardian: Academies are a success story: http://www.theguardian.com/education...condaryschools The Sun: Education Secretary Michael Gove on the success of academy schools: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...y-schools.html [6] New Statesman: ten things they don’t tell you about academies: http://www.newstatesman.com/educatio...ools-academies |
He'll have fantastic opportunities outside school, there's fantastic links with local industry (Derby & Nottingham) for work experience and later at apprenticeships and Uni. Class sizes are small and the children I have met there are passionate and motivated.
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