Education White Paper/Bill

The White Paper: not to be taken on trust?

Hailed by some sections of the media as 'the most radical transformation of British schools for 40 years', the government's White Paper Higher Standards, Better Schools for All was unveiled in October 2005. The Bill, Education and Inspections, was published in February 2006.

At the heart of the planned reforms is a move towards what the Prime Minister has termed 'self-governing, independent state schools'.

The key provisions of the bill, most of which relate to both England and Wales, are as follows.

• Trust schools: Every school in England will have the opportunity to acquire a trust, employing their own staff and managing their own assets. Trust schools will enjoy the flexibilities of specialist schools and city academies.
• Discipline: Teachers and other school staff are to be given unambiguous rights to discipline pupils, and parents who fail to engage in moves to improve their child's behaviour will face sanctions. Parents will also face fines for a new offence of allowing an excluded child in a public place during school hours without good cause. The idea of Saturday detentions is included in the Bill.
• Selection: Schools will not be allowed to interview parents of prospective pupils and schools will have to act in accordance with the admissions code of practice. Every school will sit on a local admission forum to discuss local admission arrangements.
• Curriculum: Every young person aged between 14 to 19 will be able to access any of the 14 new specialised diplomas. Schools will be empowered to enter into formal collaboration with further education colleges if this helps them to deliver this entitlement to young people.
• Local authorities: Local authorities will move from running schools towards a more strategic role of monitoring standards and commissioning services. They will have new powers to intervene in failing schools.
• Tougher rules for failing schools: Inadequate schools will have a year to improve before entering special measures. Failing schools will have a year to make progress and if they do not do so it will be closed and a competition for a new provider will be held. Thirty million pounds will be made available over two years to local authorities to help them drive up standards in weaker schools via targeted support to bring fast improvements.
• Parental input: Parents will be able to ask for new schools to reflect local needs, and local authorities will be required to consider these requests. Parents will also have access to advisers who will help them choose the right school for their child, and new parent councils will give parents more of a say in school issues.

What does ATL think of the White Paper?

ATL welcomed the immediate implementation of the Steer Committee's key recommendation, including the ATL proposals for parent pupil support workers. ATL also supports new legislation on school admissions which needs to address the weakness in the code of practice. However, ATL condemns the nonsense of school trusts, and predicts widespread anger at attempts to further foist private sector ideology onto a public service.

In December 2005, General Secretary Dr Mary Bousted gave evidence to the Education and Skills' Committee's inquiry into the White Paper. To find out more, see: Written submission to Education and Skills Select Committee.

ATL's views on the White Paper are set out in the position statement: White Paper, Higher Standards, Better Schools for All: ATL's view (pdf file). See also: The Education Bill: ATL's position (word file) and also The White Paper: ATL's briefing to MPs (word file).

To read more details of ATL's response to the White Paper, see: Some good parts, some questionable, says ATL of the Education Bill. You can also see: Good news buried under political froth - ATL verdict on the Education White Paper. You may also be interested to read White Paper: not to be taken on trust, an article by ATL general secretary Dr Mary Bousted.

Parent power?, an article by ATL's Martin Johnson on the emphasis on parent power embedded in the White Paper - this first appeared in The Independent on 1 December 2005.

Click here to see what ATL members think, as well as viewing all our press releases and written submissions on the White Paper.

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