TEACHERS and parents staged hastily organised protests across England yesterday over the ideological push to force every school to become an academy.
National Union of Teachers deputy general secretary Kevin Courtney said the Tory drive to remove control from education authorities to “independent” businesssponsored institutions would be “a disaster for education and local democracy.”
He said: “Despite there being no evidence that academy status improves education, [Education Secretary] Nicky Morgan is recklessly ploughing ahead with this policy.”
With 12,000 fewer teachers since 2010 and dwindling resources, Scotland’s schools desperately need investment to support diverse learners rather than empty promises from politicians, writes ANDREA BRADLEY
Holding office in local government is a poisoned chalice for a party that bases its electoral appeal around issues where it has no power whatsoever, argues NICK WRIGHT
With 170,000 children living in poverty in north-east England and teachers leaving in droves over 20 per cent real-terms pay cuts since 2010, all while private companies siphon off billions, it is time to unite and fight for education, writes MATT WRACK


