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| Nicky Morgan under fire over Mumsnet post on academisation | Nicky Morgan under fire over Mumsnet post on academisation |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The education secretary, Nicky Morgan, has come under fire from furious parents on Mumsnet following a guest post in which she defended government plans to force all schools to become academies. | |
| Hundreds of parents responded to the post which went up on Friday after the publication of the education white paper and continued to attract comments over the weekend and into Monday. | |
| Reaction from contributors was almost uniformly hostile, condemning the plans as “horrifying” and Morgan’s post as “patronising”. Many said they had signed a petition calling on the government to scrap its plans to turn all schools into academies. | Reaction from contributors was almost uniformly hostile, condemning the plans as “horrifying” and Morgan’s post as “patronising”. Many said they had signed a petition calling on the government to scrap its plans to turn all schools into academies. |
| There are now two separate petitions challenging the government’s policy for all schools to become academies. Both have attracted more than 100,000 signatures and a mass rally is planned for this Wednesday. | There are now two separate petitions challenging the government’s policy for all schools to become academies. Both have attracted more than 100,000 signatures and a mass rally is planned for this Wednesday. |
| Related: The Guardian view on the education white paper: too important to rush | Editorial | Related: The Guardian view on the education white paper: too important to rush | Editorial |
| While the majority of Mumsnet contributors opposed forced academisation, others criticised government plans to scrap mandatory parent governors; some raised concerns about children with special education needs, while the proposal for “a parent portal” as a means of giving parents a voice in the education of their child was ridiculed. | |
| Morgan has previously done two webchats with the high-profile parenting website, one as minister for women and more recently in her capacity as education secretary in the run-up to the general election, both of which passed without incident. | Morgan has previously done two webchats with the high-profile parenting website, one as minister for women and more recently in her capacity as education secretary in the run-up to the general election, both of which passed without incident. |
| Justine Roberts, Mumsnet CEO, said on Monday: “I knew that there were mixed feelings about academies on Mumsnet, but we were quite surprised by the strength of the reaction to Nicky Morgan’s guest post.” | Justine Roberts, Mumsnet CEO, said on Monday: “I knew that there were mixed feelings about academies on Mumsnet, but we were quite surprised by the strength of the reaction to Nicky Morgan’s guest post.” |
| The education secretary wrote in her post that she wanted to explain what academisation meant and why she thought it was the best way forward. “We need to put our trust into the hands of the people that know best how to run our schools – the teachers – and the academy system does just that. | |
| “It gives schools greater autonomy to make the decisions that are right for their community and pupils. After all, we have the finest generation of teachers ever and being part of an academy helps put the power back in their hands.” | “It gives schools greater autonomy to make the decisions that are right for their community and pupils. After all, we have the finest generation of teachers ever and being part of an academy helps put the power back in their hands.” |
| Related: School academy plan ‘doomed to fail’, warns Blunkett | Related: School academy plan ‘doomed to fail’, warns Blunkett |
| “What a load of absolute crap,” responded one contributor known as mercifulTehlu. “If I were even considering voting Tory next time, this above all else would stop me. Paying big bosses of academy chains hundreds of thousands of pounds while being unwilling or unable to recruit, pay and retain qualified and experienced teachers? No thanks.” | “What a load of absolute crap,” responded one contributor known as mercifulTehlu. “If I were even considering voting Tory next time, this above all else would stop me. Paying big bosses of academy chains hundreds of thousands of pounds while being unwilling or unable to recruit, pay and retain qualified and experienced teachers? No thanks.” |
| “Complete and utter rubbish,” said GingerIvy. “You ought to be ashamed of yourself for peddling this as an improvement for children’s educations.” | “Complete and utter rubbish,” said GingerIvy. “You ought to be ashamed of yourself for peddling this as an improvement for children’s educations.” |
| “I am struggling to write something that wouldn’t earn me a deletion,” said yesterdayoncemore. “There is so much wrong with the white paper, I don’t even know where to start. Gove, Morgan and the Conservatives have ruined my children’s futures.” | “I am struggling to write something that wouldn’t earn me a deletion,” said yesterdayoncemore. “There is so much wrong with the white paper, I don’t even know where to start. Gove, Morgan and the Conservatives have ruined my children’s futures.” |
| There were many teachers among the commentators. “As a KS1 teacher and a parent to a three-year-old I’m seriously depressed with how our education system has changed over the years and this is the final nail in the coffin,” said ILoveMyMonkey. | There were many teachers among the commentators. “As a KS1 teacher and a parent to a three-year-old I’m seriously depressed with how our education system has changed over the years and this is the final nail in the coffin,” said ILoveMyMonkey. |
| “Nicky, you should be ashamed of what you are doing to our schools and for ruining thousands of children, and future children’s, education!” | “Nicky, you should be ashamed of what you are doing to our schools and for ruining thousands of children, and future children’s, education!” |
| Another wrote: “I am an experienced teacher of a core subject. I have moved overseas with my three children. You have put us in a position where emigration is a far superior option for my family than working or learning in the UK education system,” said ravenAK. | Another wrote: “I am an experienced teacher of a core subject. I have moved overseas with my three children. You have put us in a position where emigration is a far superior option for my family than working or learning in the UK education system,” said ravenAK. |
| And from BettyBusStop: “Nobody believes you, Nicky. Do you even believe this nonsense yourself? Nobody thinks schools are perfect as they are, but forcing academisation on them is not going to improve matters.” | And from BettyBusStop: “Nobody believes you, Nicky. Do you even believe this nonsense yourself? Nobody thinks schools are perfect as they are, but forcing academisation on them is not going to improve matters.” |