Education Bill

Part of the debate – in the House of Lords at 6:15 pm on 3 July 2002.

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Photo of Lord Dearing Lord Dearing Crossbench 6:15, 3 July 2002

My Lords, I hope that I may add a few words on the exit strategy which concerns me. Let us consider, for example, a voluntary-controlled school with only two foundation governors. The majority of the non-foundation governors could take the school into a federation. If the school is then unhappy with that and appeals to the governing body of the federation, a decision will lie with the federation. There seems to be no exit. Some federations will not work. People can be peculiar. If people behave in a peculiar fashion, federations will not work. There is wisdom in providing some mechanism for a participant to withdraw other than the final decision lying with the governing body of a federated institution.