FOI request shows failings of trust school model - Teather

3.10.13pm GMT Tue 14th Mar 2006

Ahead of tomorrow's Education Bill vote a Freedom Of Information (FOI) request by the Liberal Democrats, published in today's Guardian, shows the lacklustre response to the Government's proposals for trust schools.

The FOI request demonstrates that only 70 organisations have shown a public interest in the new trust schools model. Of these only 25 are schools or colleges, the rest are charities, businesses, universities and religious groups.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Education Secretary, Sarah Teather MP said "Trust schools are being spun as the Government's latest flagship scheme to improve education but the truth is nobody is very impressed with it.

"There is a lack of interest on both sides of the equation. Whether it's schools or potential trust sponsors the response is lukewarm at best.

"The Academies programme has attracted some very controversial sponsors. More information about the type of groups the Government envisage running trust schools would help inform many MPs' opinions about these plans.

"The Government has been extremely cagey about the types of groups and individuals they want to get involved. It would be easy to conclude that either they are reluctant to name contentious groups they've been in talks with, for fear of provoking a furore, or they aren't getting the kind of responses from the private and voluntary sector they'd hoped for.

"With no published criteria setting out what makes a suitable trust sponsor the worry is that pressure to produce interested parties mean local schools being paired with inappropriate sponsors."