Andrew
Gwynne: On “building schools for the
future”, the Minister will be aware that in Tameside, we are
looking at rebuilding seven secondary schools in the largest
school-building programme in the borough since the 1950s; a substantial
investment is to be made. Originally, it was proposed that there would
be one academy, but Tameside council is considering increasing the
number to three—not because it is being forced to by the
Department, but because it wants to. The council foresees a real,
positive impact on the whole Tameside school family from having those
academies form part of the network of schools in the
borough.
Jacqui
Smith: My hon. Friend strongly makes the case on why
forward-looking local authorities that care about provision for their
pupils are considering academies as a serious option as they take
forward their “building schools for the future”
proposals. That is right and it is happening. Where there are problems
of failure
or underperformance and an authority is not proposing to utilise the
academies programme to address it, it is not unreasonable to expect the
authority to demonstrate that it has alternative strategies in
place—and the capacity to implement them—that are at
least as likely to achieve the necessary improvements. Such a case can
be made. The BSF project involving South Tyneside and Gateshead
authorities does not include any academy proposals and its education
vision has been approved by Ministers.
What is important is what makes
a difference for children and young people. We should celebrate the
contribution that academies make to turning around the life chances of
some of the children in this country who need it the most, and reject
the prejudice of the Liberal Democrats and their
amendment.
Sarah
Teather: This has been a helpful debate, albeit a little
fractious on occasion. I want to clarify a few points.
Some local education
authorities complain that they feel as though they are being bribed, or
that their hands are tied and they are not able to exercise their
preferred choices in a local area. They say not that they are being
asked to consider including an academy in their mix of schools, but
that they are being forced to do so, which is a different matter. A
local authority might be put in a real dilemma if the sponsors coming
forward in the area are all faith-based but there is already
over-provision of faith-based schools in the area and the authority is
aware that parents want something else. Having a competition and
encouraging sponsors to come forward does not necessarily mean that
those that do come forward will be appropriate or desirable for the
local area. I thank
the Minister for putting on the record her comments on children in
care. That was helpful, and we will look into the issue. With those few
points, and with the time in mind, I beg to ask leave to withdraw the
amendment. Amendment,
by leave,
withdrawn. Question
put, That the clause stand part of the Bill.
The Committee
divided: Ayes 20, Noes
3.
Division
No.
10] Blackman-Woods,
Dr.
Roberta Smith,
Ms Angela C. (Sheffield,
Hillsborough)Question
accordingly agreed to.
Clause 7 ordered to stand
part of the Bill.
Clause
8Consultation
and publicity in relation to notice and proposals under section
7
Mr.
Hayes: I beg to move amendment No. 159, in clause 8, page
7, line 27, leave out ‘such persons
as appear to the authority to be
appropriate;' and
insert ‘parents within the
locality'.
The
Chairman: With this it will be convenient to discuss the
following amendments: No. 331, in clause 8, page 7, line 27, after
‘appropriate', insert ‘and
which must include the headteacher and the chairman of governors of all
maintained schools in areas adjacent to the proposed
school'. No.
348, in clause 8, page 7, line 27, after ‘appropriate',
insert ‘and in the case of
religious-based schools, the relevant church or religious
authority'.
Mr.
Hayes: The explanatory notes on clause 8
state: “This
clause provides that before publishing a notice under clause 7, local
education authorities in England must consult such persons as they
consider to be appropriate, and in discharging this duty they must have
regard to any guidance given by the Secretary of State. Subsection
(2) provides that regulations may require local education
authorities to take further steps to promote public awareness of the
proposals brought
forward.” Our amendment
would prevent vastly different practices from developing because it
limits the consultation to parents. It is a probing amendment. It
brings us to an element of our discussions that has loomed large today
in the considerations of Committee members of all parties: the role of
parents in this process.
A different view of the role of
parents has begun to emerge. I do not take the view that parents are
the only people who have an interest in the education of children. In
an earlier sitting, I spoke about the pivotal role of the educator and
how we ought to elevate teachers in our estimation because they are
important people in whose hands we place the future. However, in
respect of the intentions behind the Bill, the most likely drivers of
the type of change that the Minister mentioned in the last debate are
parents. Parents are the people who are likely to make the most
difference and to want to do so. I believe, as does the Minister, I
think, that that difference can mean renewal, and renewal is vital if
we are to address some of the problems of our most disadvantaged
communities and most struggling schools. This probing amendment is
designed to tease out from the Government just how pivotal they
consider parents to be in this process.
Parents are surely the most
appropriate people to consult. Although I acknowledge that there are
differences in the Committee about the precise role of parents, we all
understand that parents are very important. The hon. Member for Bury,
North, in one of his typically well informed interventions, listed the
things he believes add up to a good education. He talked about the
home-school relationship and the important role that parents play in
motivating children, preparing them for school, interacting with the
school,
and setting a context in which good education is likely to flourish. As
I have said, however, although all Committee members understand that
parents are important, the relative nature of their importance is
something we may differ about. The so-called alternative White
Paper, to which the hon. Gentleman and others put their names,
highlights some of those differences, because it specifically addresses
the role of parents in the process that lies at the heart of the Bill,
which is essentially the establishment of new schools and the renewal
that that can bring. The alternative White Paper states:
“The commitment of
parents to their children’s education and the opportunities that
can be created for their participation in their children’s
school is important.” It
goes on to
say: “Not all
pupils have parents who are engaged equally or wish to
be.” It also says that
the assumption
that “Parent
power is...always...present and just waiting to be unleashed
in a way which will be wholly
beneficial” should be
challenged. Of course
it is true that parents vary and that some people are more engaged and
committed to the interests of their children than others. We could
leave it at that and be comfortable with that status quo. However, if
we take the Conservative view that by giving parents the incentive to
become more involved and enabling them to make a difference, one is
likely to unleash new potential, it is important that we ensure that
the Bill contains provisions that maximise parental influence. We do
not disagree that the current picture is patchy. The difference between
us centres on our belief in the potential of parents to make a
difference. That has been highlighted by the comments that have been
made in previous debates and emphasised by the
amendment. There might
also be a difference in our views on how local authorities could choose
to use the consultation process to inhibit the energy of parents that I
have described. I am not naturally a cynical person. As you probably
know, Mr. Cook, I am a romantic—[Laughter.] I make no
bones about my romantic idealism, for it is at the heart of my
politics. I am, not cynical, but a little doubtful—perhaps even
sceptical—about the intent of some of those who, faced with the
legislation, may erect obstacles to the achievement of the
Government’s purpose. It might be that there will be people who
see the consultation process as a way of slowing down and
inhibiting—
Mr.
Hayes: My hon. Friend is even less sceptical and even more
of a romantic than I am. Some people might see the process as a way of
frustrating the intent of the Government and the purpose of the Bill.
Conservative Members believe that by simplifying the consultation
process, as the amendment would do, we will prevent any malcontents who
might use this part of the Bill to slow down the process, or perhaps
even stop it, from having their way.
In that effort, we are at one
with the Prime Minister. I do not say that he always gets it
right—hon. Members would hardly expect me to say that here or
anywhere else—but in introducing the White Paper, he was right
about the potential of parent power. Judging by the contributions that
they have already made and what I assess to be their good intentions, I
am certain that all Committee members want schools to improve in those
areas where they are currently struggling and want every child to
achieve their educational potential. However, as Abraham Lincoln said,
we will not be able to help men permanently by doing for them what they
could and should do for themselves. By giving people the opportunity to
become more involved in their children’s education, in the
running of schools and in the birth of new schools, we can make a real
difference to those disadvantaged communities and those children who
might otherwise struggle. 4
pm The White Paper
is clear. It states at paragraph
2.1: “We are
determined to transform our school system into one that responds better
to the needs and aspirations of parents. Every parent should be
confident that the system is delivering for their child. Every
community should be confident that all parents can choose an excellent
school. And the nation needs to ensure that areas of underperformance
which undermine our efforts to improve social mobility are tackled
vigorously.” And at
paragraph 2.2, it
says: “To
create real choice and diversity for parents, we need...an easy
route through which parents can generate change; and...new
providers rooted in their
community” and stimulated
by parental activity. As I say, that spirit that underpinned the White
Paper could be frustrated unless the Committee accepts our amendment,
which would further the aims of the White Paper by ensuring that there
is an easy route by which parents can generate change.
We should not be doubtful in
any way about the mountain that parents will have to climb to generate
a new school. It will not be easy. To gather sufficient numbers of
parents with the will and wherewithal to establish a new school in
their area is not an easy task. Earlier in Committee, the hon. Member
for Brent, East talked about getting 50 parents together, and said that
that was not a great number, but I disagree. I share the view of my
hon. Friend the Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton that getting
50 parents together, getting families to commit and getting people to
believe that they can make a difference will be a tough job. It is our
task to make that job as easy as possible, and not to allow further
barriers to be put in their
way. In proposing the
amendment, I believe that we are acting in the spirit of the White
Paper and improving the Bill. We are making a strong statement for
parent power. I believe in parent power not for its own sake, but
because it can make a real, positive difference to the interests of our
children. I shall now
say a word about the amendments in this group tabled by my hon. Friend
the Member for Gainsborough. I understand his intent in tabling them.
He will speak for them with his usual wit and elegance, and we will
have a chance to respond to what he
says.
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