Allowing state schools the option of opting out from local authority control but remaining state funded if a majority of parents at the school agree (to be legislated separately in each of the four nations of the UK).
Our children are not being given the opportunity to reach their potential. In the 2008 SAT tests for children leaving English primary schools, 39% of pupils - a total of 220,000, about a third of the cohort - failed to reach the expected level four in reading, writing or mathematics and have therefore had their life chances hugely reduced. They have had about 6,000 hours in the classroom but are still unable to communicate well or to do simple arithmetic properly. These children leave their typically 250 pupil primary school and move to a 1000+ pupil secondary school. Without the basic skills they become frustrated in the larger and more complex new environment and are tempted by other avenues of excitement. Those who do not reach level four in the SAT tests at age 11 are much less likely to reach the expected standard of 5 GCSEs at Grade C or above at age 16.
Local authority run schools have lost their freedom and are increasingly regulated. At his union's May 2009 annual conference, Dr Chris Howard, President of the National Association of Head Teachers, accused ministers of interfering relentlessly in schools and failing to trust the teaching force: 'In England, at least, we have endured a decade of compliance and centralised control in the name of client choice and raising standards. Nearly every action of the department (DCSF) advertises the fact that it doesn't trust school leaders very much and doesn't trust primary school leaders at all.'
The 2008/9 Ofsted Annual Report shows that 32% of the 5,323 primary schools that it inspected during the year were not 'Good' or 'Outstanding' in relation to 'How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variation between groups of learners'. Ofsted comments: 'In three in 10 schools, pupils make progress which is no better than satisfactory. In schools in which achievement is inadequate, there is significant underperformance by pupils in general or by particular groups. Pupils of White British heritage from deprived homes are still particularly at risk of underachievement.' This Ofsted Report also states: 'There is a ‘stubborn core' of inadequate teaching; furthermore, too much teaching is just satisfactory and fails to inspire, challenge and extend children.'
Schools have become monopolies: it is normally now not possible to apply to an individual primary school. The application must be to the local authority and this decouples the school's performance from the number of pupils going there. Even a primary school judged by Ofsted to be inadequate or needing special measures will have about thirty 5 year old children forced by the local authority to join it every September.
Schools, even more than many other organisations, depend on the dedication of their employees. However in a monopoly it is much more difficult to deal with under-performance. If the customers are required by law to use your services, then the pressure to deal with staff slackness is much reduced. Failing teachers are protected by rules like Heads having to give notice before observing teachers teaching and by a cumbersome appeals process. A bureaucratic municipal system can give staff more priority than the real customers, the children, who only have one chance to get their education.
The government should pay for school education but parents, not the government, should have the main responsibility for deciding where their children are educated. Government should pay schools according to how many pupils they educate and it should pay them more for disadvantaged pupils so that these can have more resources. However the government does not need to run the schools. 67% of schools in Holland and 55% of schools in Ireland follow this funding model. The US Charter schools, which have generally been very successful, work on the same model.
The ballot in a school to decide whether to opt out will be initiated by the governors or by 5% of the parents. It would require a 55% agreement with at least 50% of the families voting and could be held not more often than every five years.
Independence gives back to teachers their professional respect and, subject to the governors, gives Heads the right to manage their school without interference. They must succeed or otherwise parents will stop sending their children there. This gives parents a choice, makes the children the key focus, motivates staff and raises aspirations.
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