Nick Clegg's speech today heralding the opening of the first 24 'Free Schools' could not hide the opposition - even inside his own party - at this dangerous experiment which is designed to further break-up democratically accountable comprehensive schooling.
Building on the misplaced fear of some middle-class parents at the supposed 'failure' of community schools, Gove hopes that they will be encouraged to opt for unaccountable 'free schools'. He hopes this will deal a further blow to elected Local Authority schooling so that it can be replaced with a divisive market-driven system where education businesses control our children's schools - and, sooner or later, are allowed to profit from state-funding as well.
Increased social segregation would be the inevitable result - as would cuts to both the quality of education and conditions for staff as big businesses look to their profit margins.
Some parents and staff may naively believe that 'free schools' provide a way forward - but, as I found in Greenwich last year, the logic of free schools is towards selection and segregation - at other childrens's expense. http://electmartin1.blogspot.com/2010/09/greenwich-free-school-plan-trojan-horse.html
Further information is on the Anti-Academies Alliance website
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