Another Government sell-out (From Oxford Mail)

Another Government sell-out

10:00am Thursday 16th February 2012 in Letters

l WHILE attention is focused on the sell-off of our NHS, another form of privatisation has taken place under our very noses, with the move to academise the secondary schools of Oxford.

This despite no mandate from parents or taxpayers, most of whom seem to remain in ignorance of what is happening and of its connotations.

What academisation means, first and foremost, is schools no longer being linked to the local education authority.

They have agreed to become independent of the county council by accepting a large sum of money up-front (this one-off sum being the carrot that led them to choose academy status) but there is no knowledge of how academies will be funded once this up-front funding is finished.

The future is unknown but academies will be run according to a business model, with managers and, as time goes on, doubtless fundraisers too.

The time for opposition to this has run out before people are even aware this is happening; such is the lack of democracy in the process and the lack of democratic accountability we can look forward to more of in the future.

SUSHILA DHALL Chair Oxfordshire Green Party