Why do politicians pursue failures?

[Feral Fox]

Just read the news headlines and the biggie is Cameron pledging to complete 500 more free schools if re-elected. 

Strange one this as so far the free school program has turned into what everyone predicted, a farce. Failure after failure. Ego's thinking they can run their own school without any prior knowledge.

Don't get me wrong some have worked. 

Local Education Authorities are, in general, poor. Surely the money should have been better spent clearing house at the LEA's so they offered the service they were designed for which was to manage and produce good schooling for all, regardless of background...

 

David Cameron says he wants to create 500 more free schools in the next parliament.

The Prime Minister will suggest at a speech in London later today that the controversial programme has been a great success, amid criticism from teachers' unions and the Labour Party.

"If you vote Conservative, you will see the continuation of the free schools programme at the rate you’ve seen in the last three years," he will say.

More than 400 free schools have been approved since 2010

"That means, over the next parliament, we hope to open at least 500 new free schools resulting in 270,000 new school places."

Under the free schools scheme parents and teachers can set up and design their own schools.

Play video "Nick Clegg Takes On Free Schools"

 

 

 

 

 

 

Video: Nick Clegg Takes On Free Schools

One institution expecting approval will be based at a "boxing boot camp" in Hackney which will use daily training sessions in the ring to help children deal with their anger.

Mr Cameron will also announce the approval of 49 new free schools, as a report by the right-wing think tank Policy Exchange concludes the innovation is driving up standards at primary and secondary level.

Free schools have been the big education experiment of this government so it is no surprise that, with an election coming, the Conservatives conclude it has been a huge success.

More than 400 have been approved since 2010 creating more than 230,000 places. According to Policy Exchange nearly three quarters (72%) of all open or approved mainstream free schools are in areas with a projected lack of places in the future.

But critics say the schools are unaccountable and the initial findings do not warrant expanding the programme.

Henry Stewart from the Local Schools Network said: "It you look at the data for both primaries and secondary schools free schools don’t have any effect on the other schools in the area, but what they have done is they’ve used up a huge amount of resource.

"Some £1.7bn is the capital spend on free schools to date and the National Audit Office found that 52% of free school places are in areas that don’t need new places."

Play video "2012: Govt Defends Free Schools"

 

 

 

 

 

 

Video: 2012: Govt Defends Free Schools

The Policy Exchange report also finds that free schools are not dominated by the middle class and are eight times more likely to be located in the most deprived areas of England than the most affluent.

Jonathan Simons, head of education at Policy Exchange, said: "Policymakers should make decisions based on evidence and the evidence clearly shows that free schools drive up standards of nearby schools in the local community, particularly the ones which are lower performing.

"Restricting new free schools solely to areas of basic need will deprive pupils - especially in some of the poorest performing schools - from achieving better results."

But Tristram Hunt MP, Labour’s shadow education secretary, said: "The Tory plan is failing young people and their parents, with a third of all free schools found to be under-performing.

"Instead of focusing on the desperate need for more primary school places across the country and on spreading innovation right across the school system, David Cameron's government has spent at least Â£241m on free schools in areas that already have enough school places.

"The result is many more children forced into crowded classrooms - a 200% increase in the number of infants taught in classes of more than 30."

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[Chris Website URL Visit Site 𝕏 fmcj10 Instagram fmcj10]

Will the majority be based in London? They've been busy knocking down schools ideal for rebuilding under them, only to see the land sold off to developers. I have about as much faith in David Cameron as I do religion.

He could promise anything and I wouldn't believe him.

I hope other people think about it carefully, I mean he's done some things well but a lot of decisions are only to benefit one kind of person. I'd rather see one of the idiots around where I live run the country.

[liampie]

how many things did he promise last time? i judge them by what they do and he has not impressed me.

promising to build school does not change that.

[Feral Fox]

how many things did he promise last time? i judge them by what they do and he has not impressed me.

promising to build school does not change that.

That's the point @liampie. He's not promising to build any new schools at all. What he wants is people who have the parent pulling power to take over old buildings not build for children eg factories old churches etc...and have the group of parents run their own school! Not a fair system really as they get shed loads of cash put into it. The people running it getting loads of cash too.

All about the numbers. Not the numbers the kids learn, the numbers that goes into the owners pockets.

[Fan of Big Tone 𝕏 @mainstandpie]

The current government have a lot to answer for, I won't be voting for them in May that is for sure.

 

The next Government will almost certainly be another coalition but I wonder which parties will figure?

[liampie]

@hissingdwarf that makes little to no sense at all, uses buildings which dont suit is a stupid idea.

[Feral Fox]

Not a betting man but Alex Salmond knew what he was doing when he resigned leadership of the SNP to lead them in Westminster. Imo he will be the deciding man so to speak after the election. Labour and SNP probably.

[Feral Fox]

@hissingdwarf that makes little to no sense at all, uses buildings which dont suit is a stupid idea.

I agree!!!

Do you know how many millions were spent converting the old Coultards factory on Haydn Road?

Probably not because only a few (and yes I'm one of them due to me lobbying through the teaching union to stop it) do and let me tell you this much. The amount is eye watering just to convert from inappropriate to appropriate use.

It would have been cheaper to build from scratch for a purpose built building than to do what they did.

No offense to anyone who lives there but places like West Bradford and Lady bay are prime areas for Tories to push for free as schools as they know a lot of the parents have the means to raise the profile of a free school.

[Fan of Big Tone 𝕏 @mainstandpie]

Not a betting man but Alex Salmond knew what he was doing when he resigned leadership of the SNP to lead them in Westminster. Imo he will be the deciding man so to speak after the election. Labour and SNP probably.

I'm not sure that would be an altogether bad thing.

[Feral Fox]

I'm not sure that would be an altogether bad thing.

I don't disagree @tonyhateley. IMO the likeliest outcome would problably work the best.

1 No tories.

2 Labour reigned in a little

3 Genuine discussion needs to take place rather than the sofa politics that Blair and Prescott used to practise (If you don't know the reference then read Blair's and Prescotts books. Both mention that the sofa outside the cabinet office was where all the big decisions were made rather than in the Cabinet room! Anything to try and keep Gordon Brown out of it apparently!)

 

(I am staunch Labour, but even I can spot the mistakes made over the previous administration!)