Academy angst

Yet, in more than a decade of rule, neither Tony Blair nor Gordon Brown's governments affected change as radical as the reforms being proposed by the new Government at its outset.

While much of the political agenda has been dominated by what is to be cut, Education Secretary Michael Gove has looked at what can be created. His intentions are admirable as he encourages outstanding schools to opt out of council control to become independently-run academies. This ambitious policy will, for the first time, wrestle decision making power away from bureaucrats and into

the hands of parents and teachers.

It particularly resonates here in a Yorkshire where a group of parents in Kirklees now have it within their own power to set up their own school

However, the question remains: what is the glue that will hold this policy together and what will happen to the Government reforms if the new academies fail to meet the requisite standards on academic attainment?

There are a raft of other concerns that also need answering, such as the admissions policy and whether the academies, at a time when councils are making cuts, will receive preferential funding from Whitehall. Mr Gove's enthusiasm is likely to inspire parents and teachers at those schools, and in those neighbourhoods, that share his ambition. Yet the Minister must remember that the Government's responsibility extends to every school, not least those places of learning where the progress of pupils is being hindered by a lack of parental interest.

Here, the status quo is not a satisfactory solution – but, at the moment, it appears to be the only option on the table.