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'The ARK truth about academy' [editor's
title] Jacqueline Steele, headteacher of the Wembley Academy primary school, spins beautifully when she suggests that it is okay for her pupils to be educated on a building site because they enjoy waving to 'our friendly digger and truck drivers' (Letters October 9th). However, whatever spin is put on it the children are being educated in isolation, on a building site, in a school that has never received the support of local residents and within an undemocratic educational programme that appears to be falling apart as I write. ARK has appointed a principal for the yet to be built main school before it has even received planning permission, demonstrating their confidence that the plans will be rubber-stamped by an acquiescent council Planning Committee. ARK has stirred controversy elsewhere by appointing a 29 year old with only three years' classroom experience and 6 weeks' teacher training to lead its King Solomon Academy in Marylebone. Lord Adonis, architect of the city academies policy, was shifted from education in Gordon Brown's recent re-shuffle amid reports of declining support for the policy and for the first time a private sponsor is in talks to withdraw its backing for the Unity City Academy in Teesside, throwing its future in doubt. There has been a belated recognition of the lack of democratic accountability in the academies programme in Sheffield where the newly elected Liberal Democrat council is holding a ballot of parents on proposals to turn Parkwood High School into an academy - something our Lib Dems could have done. However the ballot is limited to parents of the high school and three feeder primary schools, only the council's information pack is being sent out with the ballot form and the council reserves its right to turn the school into an academy whatever the result of the ballot: a very limited form of democracy! As the world financial crisis hits banks and finance companies, including the backers of ARK, it is likely that more sponsors will back out. It is possible that we will have to 're-nationalise' academies by taking them back into local authority control. Why not ditch the Wembley Academy and build a new, democratically accountable, local authority community school where it is needed instead? Martin Francis Brent Green Party spokesperson on Children, Families and Schools |
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