NASUWT: Free schools project is a magnet for eccentrics and extremists
Commenting on revelations in the press that nine out of ten free school applications were rejected by the Department for Education, Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, the largest teachers’ union, said:
“This information comes as no surprise to the NASUWT.
“As we said when the free schools policy was announced, this project would act as a magnet for eccentrics and extremists.
“It is extremely unfortunate at a time of savage cuts to school budgets, that the Department for Education has elected to spend millions of pounds of public money on an experiment which was always doomed to failure.
“All evidence shows that there is no public support for free schools. An Ipsos Mori poll showed that 96% of parents opposed free schools.”Downing Street sources have apparently graded the Secretary of State’s performance on free schools as ‘six out of ten’ for his efforts.
“This is a genuine example of grade inflation. There should be an appeal for a re-mark of the Education Secretary’s poor performance so far.”
ENDS
Stuart Gannon
NASUWT Press Office
Tel: 020 7420 9681
Mobile (and out of hours contact): 07966 19889
Address: 5 King Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 8SD
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