Leading article: Free schools – or clubs for the privileged?
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.One of the Coalition's earliest moves was the green light it gave to the establishment of free schools, to be set up by any individual, group or organisation that identified a need and was prepared to put in the work.
So far, more than 300 applications have been received, with 10 schools in the advanced planning stage and on course to open in September.
The idea, borrowed from Sweden, is designed to fill a gap in the education system and provide parents, whose local schools may be oversubscribed or performing poorly, with a wider choice. The concept has much to recommend it. Whether it succeeds or not, however, will depend to a great extent on implementation, and one of the tests will be how open these schools really will be to all.
It has emerged that the Education Secretary, Michael Gove, is finalising a new admissions code designed to simplify the rules about who qualifies for a place at which school. As we report today, the new code is likely to give parents who set up a free school guaranteed places for their children. Across all schools, it is also possible that parents who are teachers will have the right to priority admission for their children. Up to a point, it was always to be expected that parents setting up a free school would want to send their children there. It would be unreasonable to expect anyone to invest the necessary time and expertise without a measure of self-interest. And the desire of parents to found a school worthy, as they would see it, of their children should itself serve as a recommendation of quality.
Yet there are also dangers that – as is feared by their opponents – at least some free schools come to resemble clubs for the privileged, especially if a large group of parents is involved. Add priority for the children of teachers, and how many others will get a look-in? It is to be hoped that Mr Gove, whose ministerial attention to detail has not been especially impressive in his early months, ensures that the new admissions code minimises this risk.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments