THE fact that some 10 per cent of Oxfordshire’s secondary schools have been deemed inadequate by Ofsted in recent times is a matter of serious concern. In the most recent two Ofsted inspection reports, Oxfordshire local authority and the local Roman Catholic diocese have been singled out for some criticism.

The implication is that neither took effective action early enough.

However, successive governments have downgraded the role of the local authority and ensured that schools should be the determiners of their own fate.

Many of us thought such a policy, whether from Labour or the Conservatives, was nonsense and repeatedly said so, including through the columns of your paper.

The attempt to use un-elected regional school commissioners has clearly failed, and it would be sensible for the next government to take another look at the role of democratically elected local authorities in the governance of education. To take one example at random, parents of children with special education needs must increasingly negotiate with individual schools or small academy trusts that don’t understand their needs and lack proper professional development for their staff. This is an area where a local authority could provide services much more effectively.

My preference would be for the re-introduction of an Education Committee to which bodies such as the School Forum could be made responsible and democratically accountable. Ofsted has demonstrated the failure of the market to provide high quality schooling in Oxfordshire.

It is time to think again.

Cllr JOHN HOWSON

St Margaret’s Division Lib Dem spokesperson on education