Free Schools - Page 3 - Clubhouse

Nam

30/03/2012 at 14:45

er... dunno why it's added some blurb there...

Kathy H

30/03/2012 at 14:52

I am suspicious of 'free schools'. Mostly that is because of the enthusiasm shown by Mr Gove for them! The councils are apparently forbidden now to set up any more 'community schools'. So the schools will be out of democratic control, and in some individual's or organisation's. Maybe this government is for them so much because they hate 'public sector'?

seren nos

pirate

30/03/2012 at 14:55

I don't think I'm against private schools if that is what you want to spend your money on......

I just am worried that these free schools will divert money away from other schools where the need is somehow greater......so that by setting them up parents are getting the private education without paying.

a bit like the con in the NHS a few years ago........where patients were paying a private fee to be seen by a consultant who would then put them on the list to get NHS treatment...so were getting to teh front of the NHS queue by paying a large consultation fee.........
in my mind you either pay for the whole thing or join the rest of the country.....

anyway i think my opinions are all just based on feelings with no evidence to back them up ..so really are worthless in the scheme of things......and I have not get enough get up and go to change the world

Wilkie

30/03/2012 at 15:02

seren nos wrote (see)

it can be difficult.......my middle son is doing after school revision classes now 4 times a week.......we live 5 miles from the school....many of the children live up to 10 miles from the school........ so if they want to attend revision classes then hey have to get parents to pick them up or walk or pay for a couple of buses to get them home. so the children of parents who cannot afford to run a car are going to be much less likely to attend and benefit from the extra lessons.....also makes it more difficult for parents to attend events

But the kids from the car-less families are getting to school, so getting home from the revision classes would only be the same as going home from school, but a bit later?

SuperCaz

30/03/2012 at 15:04

But often if you don't leave school at the right time then you cannot get the school bus so have to pay for public transport.

seren nos

pirate

30/03/2012 at 15:05

no wilkie......they are buses that take the children to school in the morning and evening......but if you stay on they you have to sort your own way home.....

i hate it as its only 5 miles away but in busy time and through massive traffic lights/ rebuilding programme it takes a lot of time and petrol.....but if he walks with his school bag then it would take a while

Wilkie

30/03/2012 at 15:06

In London, kids under 16 don't have to pay for buses - I guess this is not the case everywhere?

seren nos

pirate

30/03/2012 at 15:16

no.only over 60's go free here........he can walk 1.5 miles to a train station and then pay £1.60 to get home.....but as i said lots live much further away and buses , trains are not great for getting from one valley to another.....

but once again its part of choice......my other sons school which is also 5 miles away from here......are considered to have a much more deprived catchment and must get some special funding as they do provide buses for after school clubs...........but only a small proportion of that school get bused in...........where as over 1000 get bused into his brothers school ........

SuperCaz

30/03/2012 at 15:23

My school put a bus on specifically for the kids. If you missed it there wasn't another one at all as there was no public transport. So if parents couldn't collect then it was a taxi at the aprents expense.

Nam

30/03/2012 at 15:26

Wilkie, Education in Wales is devolved to the Welsh Assembly Government... so that's one of many things they can't technically blame Cameron for...

Health is another one...

XFR Bear

30/03/2012 at 15:30

Must admit I'm not as up on this as when I worked in education, but my understanding of it was that the "free" schools got greater public funding per pupil - so it would be no surprise if they did better. I also think they aren't obliged to follow the national curriculum. This seems rather odd; if it's so important that everybody at non-free schools is obliged to follow it, why would you let free schools pick and choose which bits to teach?

I'd also be interested in the arrangements for inspection.

seren nos

pirate

30/03/2012 at 15:44

isn't there one free school where they are concentrating on the creation theory ......i wonder what there science curriculum looks like

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