Free Schools

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-14692038

24 new free schools will be opening their doors to pupils when the long summer holidays are over.

Are these state funded establishments a good idea or just a waste of money?

The plus side is that some will operate on a more equal teaching year, the long summer break will be ended and the terms equally set out with fortnightly holidays at the end of terms.

The Negative side will be that some will encourage various groups to alienate themselves even further from others.

[anotheoldgit]

It would seem that most are not in favour of these 'free schools'.

Therefore may I ask, would they be more acceptable if they were obliged to comform strictly to the National Curriculum?

[Gromit]

AOG
No. The problem is what else they are being taught. Even if they stuck rigidly to the NI I would still think it unacceptable they are being taught that non believers will burn in hell for all eternity.

The basic idea seems to be flawed. When the Conservatives were in opposition they resented that local authority education departments could dictate standards (or lack of them maybe) on schools. The 'Free' part means free of local authorities. In reality, that means crackpot religions, pushy parents and private companies in it for a profit get to do as they like.

[andy-hughes]

A minor side-track, but pertinent since it occurs on this section more than any other -

in the same way that people preface a rude statement with "I'm not being funny but ..." before proceeding to be exactly that -

people who wish to convey their complete misunderstanding of a point made previously, tend to flag up that approach by prefacing their post with the word 'So' - as in 'So because you have said this i am going to miss the point you have made with this ...'

Surely if the original poster meant what the respndent wants them to have meant (which is often the opposite!) they wouold have said so, and the need to supposedly re-phrase their point while writing something completey different would be superflouous.

It's a thought to bear in mind.

[AB Editor]

"It would seem that most are not in favour of these 'free schools'."

That's why it's so odd that the Tory's are pushing it through. I did read they've has some nice donations from some Christian lobbies, so maybe that's part of the deal? I have no source for this.

I find the NHS reforms equally worrying - it's like they're picking on the things that people really don't want touched: education & health.

[andy-hughes]

I have no problem with any school that is run correctly.

I do have serious reservations with the notion of parents setting up schools - its a recipe for all those who failed to get onto the golf club committee to find something else they know nothing about to push their ego into.

The problem with education - and it has been a vote-catcher for the same reason, is that everyone has an opinion on school because we have all had experience.

Of course, the notion that a parent knows how to run a school based on their own epxerience, and a child who attends, is like saying that a short-sighted parent with a short-sighted child knows about setting up and running an opticians - it simply doesn't work like that.

[AB Editor]

"Of course, the notion that a parent knows how to run a school based on their own epxerience, and a child who attends, is like saying that a short-sighted parent with a short-sighted child knows about setting up and running an opticians - it simply doesn't work like that."

Nicely put. I'll be stealing that.