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Tristram Hunt signals Labour policy shift on free schools Tristram Hunt signals Labour policy shift on free schools
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Tristram Hunt has signalled a major change of approach in Labour's education policy by declaring that parents and social entrepreneurs will be able to open free schools in areas of need. A new generation of academies, to be led by parents and social entrepreneurs, will be established by the next Labour government as it seeks to press ahead with reforms while ending the Tories' "ideological experiment" with free schools, the new shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt has said.
In a sign of Labour's determination to show it is open to reform and to upholding high academic standards, the new shadow education secretary described the recent OECD report that highlighted poor standards as a "wakeup call". Hunt pledged to support parents and teachers who want to set up new schools. But they would only be able to open in areas where there is a shortage of places and would be subject to greater oversight than the current free schools championed by the education secretary, Michael Gove.
The former TV historian indicated Labour would challenge Michael Gove as the champion of academic rigour when he told the Andrew Marr Show on BBC1: "Look, I've got a PhD from the University of Cambridge. I'm very lucky. I don't need to be told about the importance of rigour and standards." Hunt, who was promoted to the shadow cabinet in last week's Labour reshuffle, told The Andrew Marr Show on BBC1: "I am in favour of parent-led academies which are going to be good parent-led academies. And we will keep the good free schools when we get into government. But have no doubt, what we have seen recently is an ideological experiment with our young people."
Hunt replaced Stephen Twigg, a former minister in Tony Blair's government, in last week's Labour reshuffle, which was largely interpreted as a demotion of Blairites. But Hunt, who comes from a younger generation of admirers of the former prime minister, made clear that he had been liberated to make many of the arguments Twigg was unable to make under pressure from senior members of the shadow cabinet. The shadow education secretary, 39, spoke in favour of reform as Rachel Reeves, 34, another young member of the 2010 intake promoted in last week's reshuffle, highlighted fresh thinking when she said that Labour would be tougher than the Tories on cutting the welfare budget. The new shadow work and pensions secretary told the Observer that Labour's job guarantee scheme means that the long-term unemployed would not be allowed to "linger on benefits".
In his interview, Hunt said he would support a new generation of free schools as long as they were set up in areas where there was a shortage of school places. Condemning Gove's "ideological experiment", Hunt said Labour's parent-led academies would also be subject to greater oversight to avoid a repeat of the case of the Al-Madinah Muslim free school in Derby, which is facing the threat of closure amid allegations that it discriminated against women teachers. Under the guarantee, to be funded by reinstating the tax on bankers' bonuses, those aged under 25 will be offered a job after one year out of work. Those aged over 25 will be offered a job after two years out of work.
Hunt said: "If you are a group of parents, a group of social entrepreneurs, teachers interested in setting up a school in areas where you need new schools then the Labour government will be on your side. We are in favour of enterprise and innovation. The interventions by Hunt and Reeves show that they are following in the policy footsteps of their predecessors, Stephen Twigg and Liam Byrne, who were demoted in last week's reshuffles. Twigg had outlined plans for parents to be allowed to set up academies – subject to more stringent oversight than Gove's free schools – in his No School Left Behind speech in June.
"But here is the difference. It is going to be in places of need because we have a schools places crisis going on. Secondly, it is going to have properly qualified teachers in these schools. And thirdly, you are going to have systems of financial accountability and transparency because what is going on with the Al-Madinah school in Derby is a terrifying example of the mistakes of Michael Gove's education policy. Hunt and Reeves appear to able to speak more freely and openly than Byrne and Twigg, whose supporters believe they were constrained by more senior members of the shadow cabinet who are less keen on reform. The demotion of Twigg and Byrne prompted claims that Ed Miliband had carried out a purge of the Blairites. But the ease with which Hunt and Reeves hailed the need for radical thinking shows that shadow cabinet supporters of traditional thinking on public service reform may turn out to be more out of line with Miliband's thinking.
"You have had a system which allows essentially financial irregularities, allegations of extremist curriculum teaching ideas contrary to British values because there is no oversight there. I am in favour of parent-led academies which are going to be good parent-led academies. And we will keep the good free schools when we get into government. But have no doubt what we have seen recently is an ideological experiment with our young people." Hunt said he favoured a new generation of what he called parent-led academies – as long as they were set up in areas where there was a shortage of school places. Condemning Gove's "ideological experiment", Hunt said Labour's parent-led academies would also be subject to greater oversight, to avoid a repeat of the case of the Al-Madinah Muslim free school in Derby, which is facing the threat of closure amid allegations that it discriminated against women teachers.
Hunt said last week's OECD report showed the need for a greater focus on maths and English for 16- to 18-year-olds. The report also showed that a quarter of adults in England have maths skills no better than those of a 10-year-old. Hunt said: "If you are a group of parents, a group of social entrepreneurs, teachers interested in setting up a school in areas where you need new schools, then the Labour government will be on your side. We are in favour of enterprise and innovation.
He said: "The OECD is a wakeup call. We all need to redouble our efforts. The question is how do you achieve improvements in standards. The Labour party view is you focus on teacher quality, you focus on professionalising our teachers, you look at their continuing professional development." "But here is the difference. It is going to be in places of need because we have a schools places crisis going on. Second, it is going to have properly qualified teachers in these schools. And third, you are going to have systems of financial accountability and transparency, because what is going on with the Al-Madinah school in Derby is a terrifying example of the mistakes of Michael Gove's education policy.
But Hunt said there needed to be a greater focus on providing vocational opportunities as he suggested that polytechnics could be revived. He said: "It is not just about academic life. It is also about vocational pathways. We have a government obsessed about our GCSE, A-level and university route. That is absolutely vital and I am as determined as anyone else to make sure that kids from working class communities can get into the best universities. We are about aspiration and achievement." "You have had a system which allows essentially financial irregularities, allegations of extremist curriculum, teaching ideas contrary to British values, because there is no oversight there."
Hunt said that one of the key recommendations in the 1944 Butler Education Act, which called for a new tier of technological colleges, had not been properly implemented. He said: "The Rab Butler experiments had some downsides. We all sorts of great achievements in the post '45 period but what we have not had is clearly what they have had in Germany and other countries is that focus on making sure we have the technicians, making sure we have those vocational pathways. What that means is putting a lot of emphasis into our Further Education colleges, putting a lot of emphasis in what used to happen in polytechnics." The former TV historian gave a taste of his tactics in challenging Gove as the champion of academic rigour when he said: "Look, I've got a PhD from the University of Cambridge. I'm very lucky. I don't need to be told about the importance of rigour and standards."
Hunt added that last week's OECD report showing the need for a greater focus on maths and English for 16- to 18-year-olds had been a "wake-up call". The report also showed that a quarter of adults in England have maths skills no better than those of a 10-year-old.
He said: "The OECD is a wake-up call. We all need to redouble our efforts. The question is: how do you achieve improvements in standards? The Labour party view is: you focus on teacher quality, you focus on professionalising our teachers, you look at their continuing professional development."
But Hunt said there needed to be a greater focus on providing vocational opportunities as he suggested that polytechnics could be revived. He said: "It is not just about academic life. It is also about vocational pathways. We have a government obsessed about our GCSE, A-level and university route. That is absolutely vital and I am as determined as anyone else to make sure that kids from working-class communities can get into the best universities. We are about aspiration and achievement."
Hunt said that one of the key recommendations in the 1944 Butler Education Act, which called for a new tier of technological colleges, had not been properly implemented. He said: "The Rab Butler experiments had some downsides. We had all sorts of great achievements in the post-45 period but what we have not had is clearly what they have had in Germany and other countries: that focus on making sure we have the technicians, making sure we have those vocational pathways. What that means is putting a lot of emphasis into our further education colleges, putting a lot of emphasis on what used to happen in polytechnics."
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