Forced Academies: Nicky Morgan Guest Post (Continuation)

[nlondondad]

What it says in the title....

[nlondondad]

Not needed now, someone else got in first...

Here is the continuation thread to go to.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/in_the_news/2598460-Nicky-Morgans-thread-continued-MNers-calling-for-Lucy-Powell-to-do-webchat

Mind you my effort in doing this not wasted, as the new thread is "in the news" category, so could be missed by people like me who normally only read education related topics on mumsnet.

[Mishaps]

I do not have the words to say how very angry I feel about this arrogant patronising woman. She spoke to the collection of professional teachers with the interests of the system and children at heart as though they were a bunch of naughty children. Let us hope she has shot herself in the foot.

There is no evidence that becoming an academy improves education. This is pure political dogma. Business people running these consortia will line their pockets and our children will continue to be mere footballs in an idealogical argument, and the teachers will continue to be ignored and devalued.

I am a school governor and grandparent - the pressure put on teachers and children by this sickening game is simply dreadful.

[eyebrowse]

Academisation is not about the quality of education, it is about the right wing drive to move everything into the private sector: its exactly the same as the attack on the bbc.

Some academies will be doing a good job now however when all are academies are forced into ownership by the big chains it will just be about asset stripping and money making c.f. cadbury chocolate, Rover car company, the railways

[antiqueroadhoe]

It's all just done to save money that's it.

[EmmaB7]

I was already opposed not just to forced academies, but to most of the rest of the proposals in the White Paper published last week. Then I read Nicky Morgan's explanation of her proposals in last Friday's Guardian, which really made me angry. I can't decide whether she set out to antagonise parents, or whether it's just accidental that she has done so. Either way, I thought I should ask in this open letter. Perhaps it is time for action, to protect our schools and our children's education? wp.me/pPheW-8e

[chrisceque]

Good advise in this blog from Alison Critchley at the RSA on schools joining a multi-academy trust - "Don't panic! If a week is a long time in politics, then four years is an eternity in terms of education policy..." www.thersa.org/discover/publications-and-articles/rsa-blogs/2016/03/academy-blog/

[nlondondad]

This thread may be taking on a new life as a place to post useful links. (One per message?) The last two messages both have excellent links. I will be quoting from both. I have just used some quotes from Alison Critchleys RSA blog on this thread here:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/primary/2601720-fighting-conversion-to-MAT-help?watched=1&msgid=60171134#60171134

[nlondondad]

And another excellent link here:-

disidealist.wordpress.com/2016/03/20/the-mysterious-case-of-the-disappearing-schools-how-state-schools-will-be-privatised-without-anyone-noticing/

[nlondondad]

And there is another thread on Mumsnet here.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/education/2600754-academies-whats-in-it-for-the-private-sector

It contains:-

1. An explanation as to how a Private Sector (ie for profit) comapany can, quite legally make money out of running an Academy.
   

1. And a long discussion lead by a supporter of Academies which goes in to great, technical, detail regarding exactly what kind of charity an Academy is.

[dlacey]

And a long discussion lead by a supporter of Academies

I haven't seen anyone declare themselves a supporter of academies. I've seen people patiently balancing some of your misinformed and exaggerated anti-academy rants with some much needed facts and the occasional injection of common sense but that's not the same thing at all.

[MumTryingHerBest]

dlacey Wed 30-Mar-16 21:47:10 I haven't seen anyone declare themselves a supporter of academies.

The thing is, when you post comments along the lines of - join in while you still can, strike while the iron is hot, don't risk being too late the game - without being able to demonstrate any real gains to be had through actual facts and figures, people will make this assumption.

[MumTryingHerBest]

dlacey - some much needed facts

Enlighten me, what actual facts have you posted?

[nlondondad]

@dlacey

In the context of where your post appears, just after one of mine, when you write:

" I've seen people patiently balancing some of your misinformed and exaggerated anti-academy rants with some much needed facts and the occasional injection of common sense but that's not the same thing at all."

are you referring to me?

[dlacey]

Nlondondad I was referring to your conversation with prh47bridge on the thread you linked to. I'm assuming it was him you were (mis)labelling as a "supporter of academies".

[nlondondad]

I leave it to the reader to decide what approach they find more convincing. Inviting them to look at a discussion, with an invitation couched in neutral terms, saying what the discussion contains and was about, but not seeking to bludgeon the reader to adopt a pre conceived position, or your approach which is to use disparagement and insult instead of argument.

Anyway here is another useful link:

www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/education-committee/news-parliament-2015/dfe-deadline-publishing-accounts-extended-15-16/

From this you will see that Parliament are raising some questions relating to the DfE's financial management.

[EmmaB7]

Thanks @nLondondad the disidealist blog is excellent. Long but well worth it to get a good sense of how much is at stake once schools are legally handed over to MATs - and again reinforcing the fact that collaboration (with potential benefits in terms of sharing some staff, making financial efficiencies etc) is something maintained schools are free to do now, not something that is only possible in academies. Link posted again here :

disidealist.wordpress.com/2016/03/20/the-mysterious-case-of-the-disappearing-schools-how-state-schools-will-be-privatised-without-anyone-noticing/