Children, Schools and Families Bill

As we approach the election, there is further clear evidence that politicians and interest groups are dominating educational policy to the detriment of the teachers, children and schools.

It is widely believed that the election will take place on May 6th which means that Parliament will be dissolved sometime in mid-April (12th being common concensus).

The Children, Schools and Families (CSF) Bill is currently awaiting a date for its Committee Stage in the House of Lords. This Bill has wide variety of new laws attached, not least the New Primary Curriculum and real support for families of children with Special Educational Needs. After the Committee Stage there is a 3rd Reading and amendments are reviewed before Royal Assent is given.

Unfortunately it appears that the CSF Bill will go into what is delightfully called the ‘Wash Up’. Effectively this means that there is horse-trading and negotiation about which elements of which Bills are put into Law. This is effectively driven by the leaders and the Whips.

It is another example of politicians driving real change with little mandate or recourse to democracy. Until we remove politics from education we are going to be stuck with politics and interest groups driving what happens to our teachers and children and frankly after last week’s debate on newsnight about education – I am only further convinced they’ll get it wrong.

So watch the Wash Up and hope Education is given a straight-forward ride and doesn’t just keep going round and round!

Filed under: Blog entries by ben