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'Gove the dictator is trying to force academies on schools'
Simon Freeman and Anna Davis10 Jan 2012
Education Secretary Michael Gove is behaving like an "old-style communist dictator" over plans to force four schools out of council control, claims MP David Lammy.
The criticism came in a passionate speech as 600 people packed into the assembly hall at Downhills school, one of the Haringey primaries under threat, to protest against proposals to impose academy status.
Mr Lammy, a former Downhills pupil, told them last night: "I wouldn't be standing here were it not for this school and the teachers who improved my prospects despite having a difficult background."
The Labour MP for Tottenham has called an emergency Commons debate on the issue on Thursday.
The borough is a key battleground in government attempts to reform failing schools by turning them into semi-independent academies, privately run under new leadership.
Mr Gove said last week that those who object to the strategy are "enemies of promise" whose "bigoted, backward, bankrupt ideology" was denying children a better future.
But parents, teachers, governors, and local politicians say a "one size fits all" solution will not improve standards and that bringing in privately-run schools will make them less accountable and divide the community.
Mr Lammy said: "This is privatisation. He has friends in corporations who want to run our schools and unless we stand and fight he will get his way and it will set our children back decades.
"The school has had a rocky three years for a number of reasons but when you meet the governors and ask them about plans for improvement they are convincing.
"I'm not opposed to academies but you do it in collaboration and partnership. What I'm opposed to is foisting this on schools and the suggestion that the only road to improvement is the academy route.
"This is central diktat. The irony is that Michael Gove has accused those who oppose his plans as Left-wing ideologues but is behaving like an old-style communist dictator himself.
"It's brutally unfair that just a few roads away a pupil gets well over £1,500 a year more than a pupil here. If he wants to support improvement, that's what he needs to look at." Downhills governors say Mr Gove has failed to take into account significant improvements - highlighted by the latest Ofsted report - since the school was given a "notice to improve" by inspectors last year.
They also argue that the Secretary of State's deadline of January 27 - later extended to February 3 - to find a sponsor and adopt academy status does not give them enough time. Fiona Millar, a former adviser to Cherie Blair who represents the Local Schools Network, said: "This is not about improving schools, it's about getting them into the hands of private companies.
"If the Tories win the election on their own next time around there's a lot of money going to be made out of this."
Dave Gilchrist, a teacher and parent at Noel Park - another of the threatened schools - said: "The school is a rock of the community and we believe it should stay a part of the community. If an academy fails we will have no say in how to improve the matter, it will be run by a company."
Keira Reid, eight, who attends Downhills said: "I love it here and I don't want it to change. I like it the way it is, it's a great school."
Phil Brett, who teaches maths at the school, said: "If they get us they will go for everybody. If becoming an academy is such a good idea why not give us time to find a good sponsor?" Campaigners warned they will march on Westminster if Mr Gove does not meet them face to face in Haringey.
Alasdair Smith, of the Anti-Academies Alliance, said: "If Michael Gove doesn't come to Haringey we will go to him. He has been grandstanding from afar. We are saying, 'Come to Haringey, stand in front of parents and teachers and listen to their concerns'."
Supporters of Downhills plan to march through Haringey on January 28. Mr Smith said two other primary schools in the area are under threat - Nightingale and Coleraine Park.
A spokeswoman for the Department for Education said officials have offered to visit Haringey schools but the offer was not accepted. She added: "Academies are proven to work. They have turned around dozens of struggling inner-city secondary schools across London and are improving their results at twice the national average rate. This is about rooting out underperformance and driving up standards, so that students reach their potential."
Reader views (12)
Robert Mugabe's Love child?
- bacon, London, 11/01/2012 11:18
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The idea that academies are the panacea of educational reform is quite delusional because the main reason they are created to to take schools off the books of local authorities.
The structure of the academy school stays the same - the same poor management procedures/ decision makers, same poor teachers come managers, same poor funding, same poor school buildings [in most cases].
The only thing that changes is the source of funding, which is central.This allows the govt. to have better, more direct control over educational spending so when the need to reduce expenditure is necessary, they can turn the tap off which is what the central aim of this govt. is.
If this was not so, then why allow good schools that are performing very well to become academies as well? = we are on our way to a privatized educational system. This is just the start.
- support worker at an academy, somewhere in London, 11/01/2012 09:23
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There are several problems with the academy programme. Despite successive governments issuing press releases proclaiming its success, academies have failed, got worse exam results, had financial problems because of their independence, are paying higher costs for services than via the local authority, etc. The problems are made worse because the local authority can only stand by and watch while it happens.
To keep claiming that the programme is successful (whilst talking only about Mossbourne and a few others) is to avoid looking at the failures. To force this on any governing body, staff and parents, is dictatorial.
- Janee, London, 10/01/2012 18:25
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The central issue is CHOICE. Michael Gove is dictating that schools become academies and not giving governors and parents that choice (or funding).
I am parent of 2 children at Noel Park Primary (another school facing the threat and not listed above) and we want the time to explore all avenues to improve the education of our children. Academies are not the only way. Improvements in education come through improved leadership, improved teaching, improved collaboration and community engagement, and improved resourcing -- the only guarantee a change to sponsored academy status can give is a change in ownership away from the local community. I am not sure how this fits into the Mr Cameron's Big Society idea.
Many of those who have commented on this article will do well do view the videos of the speeches made last night, available on Youtube and the Anti Academies Alliance website.
- Francois, London, UK, 10/01/2012 17:28
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The problem is if they are allowed to vote on it the choice they are given will be YES or YES
- Louis Statham, Salisbury Wiltshire, 10/01/2012 16:47
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Michael Gove is doing a fantastic job eliminating the stranglehold on 'education' by Marxist/Stalinist recidivists.
We are turning out hundreds of thousands of young people who are barely literate and semi-numerate. This shame suited the Stalinists as badly educated people are far easier to control and less likely to oppose!
I am not anything like 100% in support of this government, but in Mr. Gove and his efforts I am in total agreement.
- David Davies, London, A Region within the European Soviet Union, 10/01/2012 16:09
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To respond to the earlier point raised by Matt it it NOT the choice of the Governing Bodies of these schools that's the point.
The schools have been told they either vote to become an academy or the Secretary of State will impose one on them.
There is little evidence that just changing the management of a school through the academies route will be the miracle cure to their problems.
I do not have a problem with a school choosing to become an academy what I have a problem with is this government forcing schools to do this with teachers, parents and pupils having absolutely no say in the matter.
- Richard Watson, Haringey, London, 10/01/2012 15:49
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The choice to become an Academy is not a "Threat" as the Standard so disgracefully and dishonestly states and the decision to do so is made by the school's Governors, not by politicians, which is probably the bit that is annoying Lammy who is no more than a self promoting lefty agitator with no interest in what is best for Haringey's children.
Academy status is working extremely well in all the schools where it has been implemented. The only people against it are those with a political axe to grind who consequently fail to put the education of our children first as they should.
- Matt, London, UK, 10/01/2012 14:21
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I am pretty sure the picture editor chose/cropped David Lammy's picture to skew the article.
- gjrlondon, london, 10/01/2012 13:14
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And David lammy thinks he is Martin Luther ....
- Jtw, London, 10/01/2012 12:48
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It is time that ALL Labour MPs stoped their rhetoric and worked put ho to delivere. Having failed our children so demonstrably just like our economy they need to take stock - shut up for a while and get real.
Labour plays politics all the time at the exepense of workable policies.
- Sir Notso Stu Pidfool, London, 10/01/2012 12:33
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I saw the word 'dictator' in the summary headline, glanced at the photo and from the pose (mic + hand in claw-like position) assumed it was about Mugabe.
I then saw it was about the witterings of a Labour MP & realised that there wasn't a great deal to separate them.
- Chavtastic, London, UK, 10/01/2012 12:12
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