Clause 54 - Inspection of independent schools
Education Bill [Lords]
11:00 am
Mr John Pugh (Education Spokesperson, Education & Skills; Southport, Liberal Democrat)
It is an extraordinarily short clause, which states:
“Schedule 8 contains amendments relating to the inspection of independent schools.”
I apologise to the Minister; I may not have read those words with the attention that they deserve. Independent schools always have a particular view of how they should function. It is often at variance with the standard state education. One thinks of the difficulties that Summerhill school had with the inspection regime. There is clearly a balance to be achieved between recognising that independent schools are indeed independent and are often chosen by parents because they want a particular genre of education not available in the state system, and ensuring that independent schools provide a good education. Without going into the detail of the amendments, will the Minister assure me that the flexibility and independence of independent schools is not in any way modified by any of the amendments in schedule 8?