Clause 1 - Duties in relation to high standards and the fulfilment of potential
Education and Inspections Bill
12:15 pm
Edward Leigh (Gainsborough, Conservative)
I thank my hon. Friend for that intervention. I visited a primary school in my constituency recently and was asking about synthetic phonics, as it has come into public debate recently. I said to the teacher, “Surely there were all these educational fashions and all those circulars coming from the Department.” She said, “I ignored all that. I just got on with my job. I have carried on with synthetic phonics all these years, when it was out of fashion.” That is the point that I am making.
I say that we should trust teachers, but that trust must be tempered by parent power. That is why I am strongly in favour of schools being given maximum freedom from the centre to teach what they want to teach. Some people want progressive schools, some may want Montessori principles, some may want faith schools, some may want traditional teaching, some may want uniforms, some do not. Let the parents decide, and ultimately schools will find their own level. I believe passionately—that is an over-used word in this building, but it is why I volunteered to serve on the Committee—that, as a parent, I know best and I know what is best for my children. I know the sort of school that I want my child to go to. I want that choice and I want a chance to get them into that school.
The point that I was making on Second Reading is that, in London, although not so much in Lincolnshire, there are many frustrated parents who cannot get into excellent primary or secondary schools. They are not necessarily schools in the best catchment areas or schools with the most money, but they provide the ethos that the parent seeks. As a result of the Bill, I want those schools and schools such as them to have a chance to expand.
There has been a lot of talk about the National Audit Office. I know a lot about the National Audit Office. One can read anything one likes into its reports. They are not written by politicians. There are good and bad aspects of education. Some schools have improved; others have not. Still too many children are, I believe, stuck in failing schools. Whatever circulars the Department issues, we will not make a difference until we allow good schools to expand, new groups to set up schools that cater for what people want and bad schools ultimately to close.