A free for all

The decision of the fee-paying Batley Grammar to switch to the state sector, albeit for economic reasons, certainly has the potential to raise standards in Kirklees.

Yet it also highlights the policy's ad hoc nature. The Minister hoped that his initiative would inspire parents in deprived areas to take charge of schools in a concerted attempt to end the education apartheid that continues to blight the prospects of so many children growing up in poor neighbourhoods.

So far, the motivation for this policy appears to be coming from middle-class areas and, specifically, those families who already know the importance of a sound schooling. This is laudable. But the Government is responsible for raising standards across the board. The muddled nature of the Minister's flagship policy still appears to be leaving the education of many children to chance, notwithstanding the vagaries of the overall admissions process which remains an issue in itself.