Late to this one, but the places argument is, IMHO

missing the point. There is a perfectly good mechanism for planning so schools expand/new schools go in the right places - you can even have a competition for providers if you want. Rather than use (and fund) this mechanism - with local accountability -'free schools' are an ideological effort to create competition. The plan is not to plug the 800 000 shortage on Primary schools, but to create 300 000 surplus places, so instead of building new/expanding schools where they are needed it ends up with more expensive and unaccountable 'free' schools competing with local schools. The extra expense is taken out of the education budget, so less to go around and instead of addressing the problems - whether its poor schools or a shortage of places - it creates new problems, without really addressing the real ones. All as part of an ideological experiment to hand basic provision to private and unaccountable interests. There are similar issues with the convertor academies, their accountability and the way they disproportionately suck out resources.

Posted By: Tressells Broadbrush on July 19th 2012 at 15:09:32

Message Thread

Someone posted the creationist free schools article on here the other day (General Chat) - King, Jul 19, 12:54:42
- Nutter and a British rail poster says have an away day (General Chat) - Jumbo1, Jul 19, 13:38:52
  - I glanced back on my life (General Chat) - Cheltenham_Canary, Jul 19, 13:59:11
- it's not the religious aspect that concerns me, more the loss of accountability. I'll be (General Chat) - StraightOuttaBacton, Jul 19, 13:12:50
  - Now that I agree with (General Chat) - King, Jul 19, 13:27:27
- It's not 'hysteria', it's scrutinising what these people are up to (General Chat) - Hertz van Rental, Jul 19, 13:00:03
  - How is it the thin end of the wedge? (General Chat) - King, Jul 19, 13:24:35
    - Exactly as that comment I quoted states (General Chat) - Hertz van Rental, Jul 19, 13:25:42
      - Well it sounds like paranoid thought-policing to me (n/m) (General Chat) - King, Jul 19, 13:28:41
        
        No, I believe children should be taught facts, not religious dogma (n/m) (General Chat) - Hertz van Rental, Jul 19, 13:31:05
        
        And I don't see the 'paranoia' aspect, of course over time the religious aspect is going (General Chat) - Hertz van Rental, Jul 19, 13:31:58
        
        Yes, but they aren't free schools (General Chat) - King, Jul 19, 13:38:14
        
        I am making the assumption about the way these schools will teach (General Chat) - Hertz van Rental, Jul 19, 13:45:59
  - This comment is particularly accurate, I think (General Chat) - Hertz van Rental, Jul 19, 13:06:45
    - I may be missing the point if all this but surely (General Chat) - Jim, Jul 19, 13:17:14
      - I object to them receiving money from the state to set up their own special interest group (General Chat) - Hertz van Rental, Jul 19, 13:21:42
        
        Don't send your kid to a religious school then (General Chat) - Jim, Jul 19, 13:31:26
        
        I thought this country was skint? Why fund more religious schools? (n/m) (General Chat) - Hertz van Rental, Jul 19, 13:33:05
        
        But its not just religious schools is it? (General Chat) - Jim, Jul 19, 13:44:09
        
        Comparing the cost of setting up a whole new state school doesn't make sense. (General Chat) - Hertz van Rental, Jul 19, 13:47:32
        
        It does because it is estimated that we need to create 800,000 more ... (General Chat) - Jim, Jul 19, 13:57:19
        
        What I can't work out is how (General Chat) - Hertz van Rental, Jul 19, 14:01:06
        
        I don't know, maybe funding should be allocated differently but there comes a point (General Chat) - Jim, Jul 19, 14:06:14
        
        Late to this one, but the places argument is, IMHO (General Chat) - Tressells Broadbrush, Jul 19, 15:09:32
        
        Many of the areas these schools are being set up in already have schools anyway. (n/m) (General Chat) - Hertz van Rental, Jul 19, 13:22:46

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