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, Jul 19, 15:09:32