Since Bolton Council has decided to proceed with the academy schools farce, it is in the public interest that they should be fully aware of what all this means to the future of education in Bolton and the country in general.
The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) is now investigating Edutrust, a multi-faith Charity chaired by Lord Bhatia, which faces an allegation that it mishandled money awarded to open a string of academies across England.
Since the DCSF has a vested interest in academies, that process will be like a turkey voting for Christmas.
Bolton Council is now fast-tracking Hayward School through an agency with the decision already taken to open up Hayward School as an academy in January, 2009, with Withins School to follow in six months time. So much for prior consultation and representation when a so-called decision will be taken by the executive on December 16.
I am reminded of the words of Abraham Lincoln, who said: “You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.”
Are Bolton people and school governors aware that our children are at risk by allowing any Tom, Dick and Harry to buy their way into our education system. Sponsors and many other individuals will have free access to our schools without requiring a Criminal Records Bureau check? Even new teachers to academies do not have to register with the appropriate teaching body New academy posts have already advertised in the national press. Even Withins School has a new chair of governors, a church minister for starters, before the so-called decision making on December 16.
Political interests take preference over the welfare and education of our school children, and Bolton Council will do what the Government dictates. In a few years’ time, we will all be saying I told you so, yet another educational disaster. That disaster is, in one word, academy.
Robert M Goodman, Former Governors vice-chairman Bolton Local Education Authority, Red Bridge
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