Tories plan 'new academies'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A Tory government would allow parents and charities to open a "new generation" of independent state schools in an attempt to drive up standards in deprived areas.
David Cameron said further changes in "structures" were needed on top of Labour's city academies. He aims to portray Gordon Brown, who wants to focus on "standards not structures", as an opponent of reform. The Tory plans to create more than 220,000 places over nine years would meet demand for places from parents of children in the most deprived boroughs who lose appeals to win admission to their first-choice secondary school.
A Cameron government would allow charities, philanthropists, not-for-profit trusts, co-operatives and groups of parents to set up new schools which would have equivalent public funding to state schools. It would divert £4.5bn from the current school refurbishment programme to fund the "new academies".
Labour argued that the Conservative plans would duplicate its city academy programme and put hundreds of school building projects at risk.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments