Michael Gove - Conservative Shadow Schools and Families Minister - live on Mumsnet this Thursday 29th, 1-2pm

[JustineMumsnet]

Michael Gove is the shadow secretary of state for children, schools and families and a key part of David Cameron's Shadow Cabinet team, responsible for Conservative policy on education and child protection. He is the Tory candidate in Surrey Heath.One of the centrepiece's of the Conservatives election manifesto is allowing parents and other providers to set up schools with state funding, about which there's been lots of discussion on Mumsnet. Other pledges include 10,000 extra university places, allowing state schools to offer the International Baccalaureate and a moratorium on the closure of special schools.Born in Edinburgh in 1967 and brought up in Aberdeen. Before He's married to Times' writer Sarah Vine and they have a son and a daughter, both of primary school age.Please post advance questions for Michael here (and do please read our webchat guidelines if you're not already aware of them).Many thanks.

Michael - I've already written to you about this and received a response from your assistant which I replied to but have heard nothing since.

I'm afraid that I fall into something of a no man's land with regards to education. I have an expensive mortgage, in a good area, which prohibits me bneing able to pay for private education for my son, yet I can't get him into a local primary school.

We applied to 4 of the 5 closest schools to us, including our closest school, and were turned down for all. We have also made late applications to two other nearby schools, and can't get him into those schools either.

Do you intend to do anything to ensure that parents do not suffer the stress, worry and upset that this has caused us? And do you have any suggestions, other than go private, on where we go from here?

We're appealing but not holding out much hope as the class size restriction seems to prohibit the success of most primary school appeals.

Down with the kids MG

I have to go, but might I just say, I do think you're doing very well. Not a hint of a lynching, well done and at pokerface

you still don't have my vote.....yet

I like 'outargeoes'. Don't let them tidy up that one, please.

lol @ poker face. He's funny!

Could you make sure that schools don't know when Ofsted are going to visit please? It appears to be a complete farce currently with everything being repainted and children being coached to lie about what they do/how they're taught (or is that just our school? )

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v. good pokerface joke.

at pokerface.

sod it I'll be late..

Honestly?!? You'll scrap Contactpoint?

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at pokerface too.

Totally agree about unannounced OFSTED. Every teacher friend of mine works 1000-hour weeks in the run up to an inspection and gets mega-stressed. Not a proper reflection of a school's day-to-day performance.

It's looking like I am going to be voting for the holocaust-denying, hate-mongering, voter-scaring bigot because I have no faith or liking for Ed Balls and even less in the Conservatives

Are the KIPP schools the ones that Malcolm Gladwell wrote about?

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you are right to scrap QCDA - someone I know was at a meeting there the other week and could not believe how broken the organisation was.

Standing on the shoulders of giants springs to mind though........if the Tories get in, they have a pretty damn good education system to deal with, especially at primary level. Few tweaks here and there, bob's your uncle and fanny's your aunt..........bring on the champagne

Dear ahundredtimes

yes malcolm gladwell has written about them - and there's abook about KIPP called work hard and be nice which is bill gates's favourite book

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Sorry but they would be picking up a pile of poo where SEN is concerned but I am not sure that SEN bothers them that much.

less school hols
Sat schooling
Starting earlier finishing later

Sound horrific but they 'work' in making very productive member of society. Apparently.

Noone has ever looked at the confounding factors at play in their apparent success

I thought that you were talking about Nick Clegg - having two disabled children I would NEVER vote BNP BP EVER

I don't think the BNP would be much help with SEN TBH Oracle

Yes, they sounded great, I remember reading about it in the last book I think.

Not sure why I'm here agreeing with a conservative

I v much hope you will work hard and make your thoughts known and Nick Clegg listens and agrees re KIPP schools