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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| PM to boost private-fund schools | PM to boost private-fund schools |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| PM Tony Blair is to announce a major expansion in England of the city academies programme, which aims to improve schools in disadvantaged areas. | PM Tony Blair is to announce a major expansion in England of the city academies programme, which aims to improve schools in disadvantaged areas. |
| In a speech in Birmingham, Mr Blair will say he wants 400 academies, double the present target for the year 2010. | |
| The academies are independent of local authorities and part private-funded. | The academies are independent of local authorities and part private-funded. |
| Mr Blair is also expected to want 100 of the equally controversial new trust schools to be planned by next spring. Changes in exams are also mooted. | |
| Baccalaureate | Baccalaureate |
| Mr Blair is to appear at the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust annual conference, in a speech marking 10 years since he vowed to make "education, education, and education" his priorities. | |
| He is expected to praise academies as an "integral part" of education that bring "more choice and higher standards". | He is expected to praise academies as an "integral part" of education that bring "more choice and higher standards". |
| City academies and trust schools are at the core of Mr Blair's education policy and both have proved controversial. | City academies and trust schools are at the core of Mr Blair's education policy and both have proved controversial. |
| City academies started opening in 2002. | City academies started opening in 2002. |
| To become an academy, a school must raise up to £2m from private sponsors. In return, the government pays the rest of the start-up costs, typically £25m. | To become an academy, a school must raise up to £2m from private sponsors. In return, the government pays the rest of the start-up costs, typically £25m. |
| Critics are concerned that the outside sponsors - for example, businesses, faith groups and charities - have too much control over the school governance. | |
| The current target is for 200 to be established or agreed by 2010. The government is halfway towards this. | The current target is for 200 to be established or agreed by 2010. The government is halfway towards this. |
| Trust schools were enabled in the Education and Inspections Act, with some Labour backbenchers fearing they would lead to a two-tier education system. | Trust schools were enabled in the Education and Inspections Act, with some Labour backbenchers fearing they would lead to a two-tier education system. |
| Under the new legislation parents, businesses and voluntary groups can run trust schools. | Under the new legislation parents, businesses and voluntary groups can run trust schools. |
| The trusts will take control of their own buildings and land, directly employ their own staff, and will set and manage their own admissions criteria, while remaining state maintained schools. | |
| Mr Blair is also expected to announce significant changes to exams, backing the International Baccalaureate Diploma as an alternative to A-levels for state schools. | |
| A-levels will remain, however - with Mr Blair talking about the government's plans to make them more challenging for the brighter students. |