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State schools will be asked to merge under a dramatic cost-cutting plan.
Children's Secretary Ed Balls set out the sweeping measures, including bulk-buying of equipment and sharing headteachers between several schools.
Education groups will run more efficient chains of state schools and schools should merge to form "federations".
Campaign group Parents Outloud expressed alarm at the plan, warning that children will be "lost in the mass" of huge primaries and secondaries. Headteachers said any mergers must be justified for educational reasons.
Speaking in Birmingham, Mr Balls said the plan was drafted to "protect" jobs of 41,000 extra teachers and 120,000 assistants hired under Labour.
"If we prepare we can protect our frontline priorities," he said. If one headteacher takes charge of three primary schools, net salary savings of £58,000 can be made, according to the plan.
Reader views (5)
Is this Balls' plan to destroy grammar schools by merging them with comprehensive schools ?
- Keith, London, UK
Good headteacher = good school. It seems Balls just wants schools run as businesses nowadays and hang the same matter of education. Quite clearly a signifcant number of head teachers have too much on their plate to make sure teaching is done properly within their schools
thanks to this government`s constant interference. If
Balls wants to cut costs let him get rid of all the class room assistants. I cannot see the logic of his justification for retaining all 120,000 of them. They must be costing an absolute fortune.
- Brian G, Norfolk Gorleston
After nearly 13 years of "education, education, education", is this all they have to show? Reducing the number of schools to save money. Pathetic.
P45 will be in the post soon, Ed.
- Nobby Clark, Perth, the Scottish one
This man looks a bigger idiot with every day that passes and he is apparently an Oxbridge/Harvard man. God help us ordinary folk !!!
- Nick Holland, glasgow
Balls - "..the plan was drafted to 'protect' jobs .."
Drafted out of desperation more like.
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
