The government’s attempt to show it hasn’t run out of ideas for education smacks of a costly, unnecessary re-organisation of schools which nobody wants 

Lucy Powell MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Education, commenting on the Schools White Paper said:

“The government’s attempt to show it hasn’t run out of ideas for education smacks of a costly, unnecessary re-organisation of schools which nobody wants.  Most of the schools which will be affected by its forced academisation programme are highly performing primary schools.  There is no evidence that this agenda will raise standards.  Indeed, many of the schools and areas which require focused improvement are already academies.  The government has no other agenda for school improvement.

"This White Paper does little to address the real issues facing education today: teacher shortages - particularly in the key subjects of maths, English and science, of a crisis in school places, of a widening attainment gap between the disadvantaged and the rest, and exam chaos with the new SATs and GCSEs not yet finalised with only weeks to go.

"In this challenging context, to ask school leaders to take time away from educating our children to spend time and money, mainly on lawyers, to convert to an academy is irresponsible.  As with the costly and disrupting re-organisation of the NHS, the government will live to regret this approach, but unfortunately it will be our children who pay the price.”