Bulletin for Conference
Yesterday I received the Socialist Party bulletin for NUT conference:
I have put a Word/Open Office and HTML version onto the internet
here
The following is a couple of paragraphs from Martin's article. I look forward to Martin and Jane Nellist speaking in the debate on faith schools.
THE FAITH SCHOOLS DEBATE Martin Powell-Davies (Lewisham NUT)
The fact that 2006 NUT Conference is debating a motion specifically on faith schools reflects the increasing concern of many teachers at the growing influence of religious views on both education and politics in general.
When a Prime Minister, happy to let God judge his support for war in Iraq, is also happy to let fundamentalist car dealers like Sir Peter Vardy run his Academy according to "Biblical teaching", there is plenty to be worried about.
The Education Bill will give business and religious sponsors the opportunity to instil their ideas on young people. As with existing faith schools, foundation schools will also be able to set separate admission criteria which allow selection, perhaps overtly on the grounds of faith but also, even if covertly, on academic and social grounds as well. A recent survey of Church primary schools in England confirmed that they were less likely to accept children from low-income families than council-run schools.
The Union must firmly state that all schools should belong to a democratically-elected Local Authority, operating the same comprehensive admissions arrangements.
(The bulletin also has an article by yours truly on the Campaign for a New Workers' Party)
I have put a Word/Open Office and HTML version onto the internet
here
The following is a couple of paragraphs from Martin's article. I look forward to Martin and Jane Nellist speaking in the debate on faith schools.
THE FAITH SCHOOLS DEBATE Martin Powell-Davies (Lewisham NUT)
The fact that 2006 NUT Conference is debating a motion specifically on faith schools reflects the increasing concern of many teachers at the growing influence of religious views on both education and politics in general.
When a Prime Minister, happy to let God judge his support for war in Iraq, is also happy to let fundamentalist car dealers like Sir Peter Vardy run his Academy according to "Biblical teaching", there is plenty to be worried about.
The Education Bill will give business and religious sponsors the opportunity to instil their ideas on young people. As with existing faith schools, foundation schools will also be able to set separate admission criteria which allow selection, perhaps overtly on the grounds of faith but also, even if covertly, on academic and social grounds as well. A recent survey of Church primary schools in England confirmed that they were less likely to accept children from low-income families than council-run schools.
The Union must firmly state that all schools should belong to a democratically-elected Local Authority, operating the same comprehensive admissions arrangements.
(The bulletin also has an article by yours truly on the Campaign for a New Workers' Party)
posted by Derek McMillan at
4:56 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home