NEW FREE SCHOOLS TO COST US £320 M
PM’s pet project snubs poor areas
THERESA May will today give the green light to a £320million plan to create 140 new free schools.
The Prime Minister’s scheme paves the way for the return of selective education across England and has been branded “reintroducing grammars through the back door”.
It also comes as her Government bids to claw 3% of funding from 9,000 schools in urban areas in favour of rural sites in Tory shires.
Free schools are controversial as they are claimed to favour pushy middle-class parents, waste taxpayer cash and frequently open in areas that do not need extra school places.
But under separate plans unveiled by the PM last year, new free schools will also be allowed to open as grammars – England’s first since the 60s.
DIVIDE
Lib Dem education spokesman John Pugh said: “The Government are planning to use this scheme as a ruse, reintroducing grammars through the back door. This will only make the attainment divide between richer and poorer children worse.”
Shadow Education Secretary Angela Rayner added: “This is throwing good money after bad. Free schools are still opening where they’re not needed.”
Free schools were the pet project of former Education Secretary Michael Gove, who handed parents and other groups taxpayer cash to open rivals to state-run education.
The Tories’ 2015 manifesto vowed to open another 500 free schools over the current Parliament. Today’s announcement goes further, taking the total to 610 by the early 2020s. If Mrs May’s plans to bring back grammars are approved, many of this new wave could have wholly selective intakes. Mrs May said: “Over the last six years we’ve overseen a revolution in our schools and raised standards and opportunity – but there is more to do. Today, we are confirming new investment to give parents a greater choice of a good school place for their child.”
The drive will form a central plank of Chancellor Phillip Hammond’s first Budget, along with £216million extra for the schools maintenance budget.
WE need politicians to champion British car workers after Vauxhall was sold by US General Motors to PSA in France.
Unbreakable promises must be demanded to save 4,500 jobs in Ellesmere Port and Luton, and a further 40,000 in the supply chain.
British jobs are an easy target because redundancy deals are three times higher in Germany, where the bulk of GM’s workforce are employed in Opel factories.
Motor manufacturing has enjoyed a recent renaissance in Britain. But storm clouds are gathering over the jewel in our nation’s industrial crown – with Nissan worried about Brexit, Ford wielding the axe in Bridgend and now fears about Vauxhall’s future.
The Tory Government must not slam on the brakes. They must engage with the new £1.9billion owner over the Channel and use the carrot as well as the stick to safeguard plants making Astra cars and Vivaro vans.
Our workers can compete with the best in the world – Vauxhall grafters deserve a chance.