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07/02/2006
Blair defends school reform concessions
Prime Minister Tony Blair has defended his controversial school reform plans after proposing a series of concessions in a bid to appease rebel Labour MPs.
The government on Monday offered a series of concessions, including a ban on schools from interviewing parents and pupils to determine admissions, allowing local councils to build new schools and a strengthening of the existing schools admissions code.
However, speaking to the Commons Liaison Committee on Tuesday, Mr Blair stressed that the core values of the Education White Paper remained intact.
He said: "The freedoms that will remain are precisely the freedoms set out in the White Paper: schools will have the freedom, as of right, to become self-governing trusts; they will be able to own their own assets, manage their own staff, develop their own independent sense of freedom and culture.
"That is the heart of reform and that remains in full."
Mr Blair said that the reforms were needed for the modern school system in England. He said: "You can see the schools that are the ones that are pushing ahead.
"They are the ones which, within proper rules in relation to selection and so on, develop their own independent sense of culture and ethos."
However, the Conservatives, who had backed the original reforms, accused Mr Blair of surrendering to pressure from his ministers and Labour MPs. Shadow Education Secretary David Willetts said: "It is very disappointing that Tony Blair is making concessions to his back benchers rather than standing up for parents and a better education. He had what he called a 'once in a lifetime opportunity' to transform our schools and he is showing weakness."
Conservative leader, David Cameron, said: "I think the education reforms are a step forward but I am disappointed that Tony Blair is spending his time giving in to his back benchers.
"He doesn't have to back down or cave in because he still has Conservative support. If it turns out that the Bill still reflects the White Paper then we will back him."
However, the Liberal Democrats have welcomed the concessions. The party's education spokesperson Edward Davey said: "If the government wants Liberal Democrat support, they will need to convince us these measures have real teeth.
"While this is a step in the right direction, we still want to see more action on other key issues, such as curriculum reform and the shortage of quality teachers."
(KMcA)
The government on Monday offered a series of concessions, including a ban on schools from interviewing parents and pupils to determine admissions, allowing local councils to build new schools and a strengthening of the existing schools admissions code.
However, speaking to the Commons Liaison Committee on Tuesday, Mr Blair stressed that the core values of the Education White Paper remained intact.
He said: "The freedoms that will remain are precisely the freedoms set out in the White Paper: schools will have the freedom, as of right, to become self-governing trusts; they will be able to own their own assets, manage their own staff, develop their own independent sense of freedom and culture.
"That is the heart of reform and that remains in full."
Mr Blair said that the reforms were needed for the modern school system in England. He said: "You can see the schools that are the ones that are pushing ahead.
"They are the ones which, within proper rules in relation to selection and so on, develop their own independent sense of culture and ethos."
However, the Conservatives, who had backed the original reforms, accused Mr Blair of surrendering to pressure from his ministers and Labour MPs. Shadow Education Secretary David Willetts said: "It is very disappointing that Tony Blair is making concessions to his back benchers rather than standing up for parents and a better education. He had what he called a 'once in a lifetime opportunity' to transform our schools and he is showing weakness."
Conservative leader, David Cameron, said: "I think the education reforms are a step forward but I am disappointed that Tony Blair is spending his time giving in to his back benchers.
"He doesn't have to back down or cave in because he still has Conservative support. If it turns out that the Bill still reflects the White Paper then we will back him."
However, the Liberal Democrats have welcomed the concessions. The party's education spokesperson Edward Davey said: "If the government wants Liberal Democrat support, they will need to convince us these measures have real teeth.
"While this is a step in the right direction, we still want to see more action on other key issues, such as curriculum reform and the shortage of quality teachers."
(KMcA)
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