5 January 2011
The government’s new free schools are ‘not wanted or needed’, a teachers union has claimed.
The National Union of Teachers says its survey of 1,021 parents showed a ‘clear rejection’ of the coalition’s flagship education policy. The survey took place in the 22 local authority areas where applications for the first free schools have been approved.
The schools will be state funded but free from local authority controls and other teaching and admissions restrictions. Applications to set them up can be made by parents, teachers, charities, faith groups and private companies. The first 25 are due to open in September.
According to the NUT survey, 46% of parents did not think there was any need for a free school to be set up in their area, although 19% said there was a strong need and 28% felt there was some need.
Over three-quarters of parents (76%) were unaware that a free school was due to be opened in their area until the survey.
Meanwhile, over half of parents (52%) thought local authorities were best placed to run schools and only 15% thought private companies should be allowed to.
Almost three-quarters (72%) said free schools should have to follow the National Curriculum while 78% felt they should be forced to employ teachers with formal qualifications.
Christine Blower, general secretary of the NUT, said: ‘Free schools are not wanted or needed. They are divisive and unaccountable. The teaching profession and parents know this. It is time the government stopped playing with the educational future of this country based on nothing more than the fact that they can.‘
