Clause36
Education and Inspections Bill
10:30 am
David Chaytor (Bury North, Labour)
Good morning, Mr. Chope. Welcome back to theCommittee after the bank holiday weekend.
Before speaking to theamendments, I wish to say a few words about the context of our debatesso far and our forthcoming debate on this part of the Bill, which dealswith school admissions. I hope that that will be helpful to theofficial Opposition, who on more than one occasion have questioned myviews on certainmatters.
It seems to methat the way in which the official Opposition have approached the Bill,especially questions relating to admissions and the relationship withthe local authority, is not the most useful framework for increasingour understanding of how to build an education system that helps tofulfil the potential of all children. Their view is that there is adichotomy of those who believe that all our schools should be withinthe local education authority and those who believe that they shouldall be free-standing, independent schools with minimal connection withthe LEA. Furthermore, there are those who believe that there should beno LEAs at all. It is not helpful to consider the Bill in such terms.The issue is far more complex than that.
Similarly, traditionally theofficial Opposition have regarded the debate on admissions as a debatebetween those who believe in selection and those who are opposed to it.They have simplified that into debate on grammar schools andcomprehensive schools, or grammar school systems. It is interesting howselective systems are always described as grammar school systems, not secondarymodern school systems, but we will leave that to one side for themoment.