Education policy
Tuesday 5th October 2004 at 12:12 AM
Control of education policy should be taken out of the hands of politicians and given to an independent commission, to end decades of party political "tampering", the chairman of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, Martin Stephen, said yesterday.
He said the task should be given to a standing commission drawn from employers, universities, parents and teachers, which would design a school structure designed to outlast one, two or even three governments.
He also proposed a new category of highly qualified specialist teachers for the brightest children.
Government Response: Department of Education and Skills
A spokesman for the Department of Education and Skills said: "We live in a democracy where the general public elect people to reform and improve public services, including education."
Stakeholder Response: Institute of Education
Dr Carol Campbell, policy and strategy adviser at the Institute of Education, said: "The principle that education, like other public services, should be subject to democratic accountability has been fundamental to the development of our education system and to the establishment of a free, universal system of education.
"Before education became the government’s responsibility, provision was localised and minimal: democratic principles of ensuring equity and fairness are vital to guaranteeing that all children have access to education.
"Evidence suggests that without such checks, and by deregulating education through market forces, there will be a polarisation of educational opportunity which tends to further advantage the already advantaged.
"While a standing commission, as proposed by Dr Stephen, may provide a form of oversight and, depending on membership, educational expertise, it is unclear whether such a body would be representative and publicly accountable.
"There are already various ways in which education stakeholders and experts can influence the policy process, and these are vital to inform, but not replace, democratic decision-making.
"The real challenge is not to remove political control but to develop ways to ensure that democratic processes engage educators, for example through citizens' panels and student councils, to ensure full representation and informed education policies."
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