Some 1,000 school heads and governors have “expressed an interest” in privatising their schools, the GMB union says.
They have taken the opportunity offered by Tory government plans to massively expand the number of privately-run academies.
Brian Strutton, GMB national secretary warned that the government’s failure to publish the list “denies parents, pupils and staff the right to know.”
Although government guidelines suggest that governors “discuss this intention” with students and parents, the Tory plans are clear that “no statutory consultation is required.”
According to Brian Strutton, “It should not be a secret—yet there is no public record of which schools have applied.”
“We need to know who academies will be accountable to and what evidence there is that they will work for schools that are already outstanding.
“They should come out of the shadows, tell their communities and start answering questions. There is too much at stake for schools to stampede over the rights of everyone involved.”
A union-compiled list of schools wanting to privatise is at » www.gmb.org.uk/ newsroom/other_news/ schools_academies.aspx
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