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Government backs down over plan to make all schools in England academies Government drops plan to make all schools in England academies
(about 2 hours later)
Controversial plans to force all state schools in England to become academies have been dropped in the wake of protests, only days after the education secretary, Nicky Morgan, insisted they would go ahead. Controversial plans to force all state schools in England to become academies have been dropped only days after the education secretary, Nicky Morgan, insisted they would go ahead.
On the day of elections across the UK, the Department for Education said that forced academisation by 2022 would not now be included in legislation, arguing: “It is not necessary to bring legislation to bring about blanket conversion of all schools to achieve this goal.” On the day of elections across the UK, the Department for Education (DfE) said that plans to force a blanket conversion by 2022 would not now be included in the forthcoming Queen’s speech, arguing: “It is not necessary to bring legislation to bring about blanket conversion of all schools to achieve this goal.”
In a statement, Morgan said: “I am today reaffirming our determination to see all schools become academies. However, having listened to the feedback from parliamentary colleagues and the education sector, we will now change the path to reaching that goal.” In a statement on Friday, Morgan said: “I am today reaffirming our determination to see all schools become academies. However, having listened to the feedback from parliamentary colleagues and the education sector, we will now change the path to reaching that goal.”
Instead, the legislation to be unveiled in the Queen’s speech will include new powers for the DfE to force all schools in “underperforming” local authorities to convert to accademy status. Instead, the new legislation will include sweeping powers for the DfE to force schools in “underperforming” local authorities to convert to academy status. Those councils with successful track records will be able to continue to maintain their local schools.
More details soon … The abrupt change was praised by Conservative-led local authorities which had been vocal critics of the original plan.
Ray Gooding, who opposed the 2022 deadline as cabinet member for education on the Tory-led Essex county council, said: “We would much rather schools continue to choose for themselves whether to go down the academy route and I am pleased the government has listened.”
Related: Being a parent is not enough to be a school governor, says Nicky Morgan
There will also be a new provision for “unviable” local authorities to ask the DfE to convert schools into academies if the council can no longer support them.
The U-turn over the 2022 deadline is something of a humiliation for Morgan, who is said to have been bounced into backing the policy by No 10 advisers eager to move the political conversation away from the economy and EU referendum.
But the proposal immediately attracted opposition from across the political spectrum, including Tory MPs concerned that small rural schools would have to close, and Conservative councils such as Hampshire and Oxfordshire that were proud of their success with local schools.
Lucy Powell, Labour’s shadow education secretary, said: “It is frankly a humiliating climb down for David Cameron and his education secretary, who just weeks ago were insisting they would plough on with the policy regardless.
“There remain enormous challenges facing our schools under the Tories, and their fixation with structures has distracted school leaders and created panic in the schools system, at the expense of raising standards.
“Ministers must urgently tackle the serious problems they have created in education, including school budgets falling in real terms for the first time in 20 years, chronic shortages of teachers, not enough good school places, and chaos and confusion in the exams system.”
Despite the setback the DfE said it expected the rate of academy conversions to increase, bolstered by the Education and Adoption Act that came into force in March, giving it the department extra powers to intervene in “coasting” schools and have them taken over by academy sponsors.
“We will also continue to support good schools to convert and to take the lead in supporting other schools as part of multi-academy trusts. In the last monthly figures, 227 schools put in applications to convert, the highest monthly figure since the programme began and we expect this rate to increase,” the DfE said.
The plans to wipe out council-maintained schools by 2022 was first announced by chancellor George Osborne in the budget, and detailed in the education white paper published shortly afterwards by Morgan.
The education secretary continued to back the proposal in the face of gathering protests, telling MPs on the education committee last week that she was “fully committed” to it. On Saturday she told a meeting of headteachers that the 2022 deadline was needed “to give you all a clear sense of direction”.
Related: Nicky Morgan warns teachers: no 'reverse gear' for academies plan
The move was bitterly opposed by the teaching unions, including the moderate National Association of Head Teachers, where a delegate at last weekend’s conference plaintively asked Morgan: “If my school is a good school, why does it need to become an academy?”
Russell Hobby, general secretary of the NAHT, said it was compulsion rather than academy status to which members objected. “We can have a much better conversation about academies in this new climate,” he said.
Roy Perry of the Local Government Association said: “We are delighted that the government is listening to our strong opposition to forced academisation, which has been echoed by MPs, teachers and parents and backed up by evidence.”
The government’s budget announcement climbdowns
Tax Credits George Osborne dropped plans to cut tax credits at the autumn statement after a rebellion by Tory backbenchers and opposition in the House of Lords.
Disability benefit The Treasury did an about turn on cuts on the night that Iain Duncan Smith resigned as work and pensions secretary, complaining that they should not have been juxtaposed with tax cuts for the better-off in the budget.
VAT on tampons Ministers had previously insisted that it was impossible to scrap the tampon tax under EU laws, but David Cameron claimed he had persuaded fellow European leaders to think again after raising it as a summit.
Sunday trading The plan to let shops open longer on Sundays was taken to a vote and rejected by Labour, the SNP and some backbench Tory MPs, which forced the government to abandon the plan.
Child refugees The government repeatedly refused to allow 3,000 child refugees from Europe but it capitulated and agreed to take some after Tories and the House of Lords asked it to think again for a second time.
Academies It was a flagship announcement at the budget but it was once again backbench Conservatives combined with councils that forced Downing Street to water down the proposal.
Rowena Mason