The BBC reports that the government have climbed down over enforced academisation. What they are now proposing seems to be what they were doing before this crazy scheme was mooted.
They’ve sneaked out this “trash” on a busy Friday afternoon hoping no-one will notice.
The mystery is why the Tories came up with this obviously ludicrous, yap-yap barking mad nonsense in the first place. Did they lose completely their minds? It is a clear example of top-down lunacy.
* Paul Walter is a Liberal Democrat activist and member of the Liberal Democrat Voice team. He blogs at Liberal Burblings.



3 Comments
I am not sure why they bothered to try bury this item of news. Too many of us are school governors and relieved by the news to ignore it. And why did they ever propose it? Because they are arrogant toffs with nothing but disdain for ordinary people. They deserve every ounce of political embarrassment possible for this discreditable piece of politics.
When there is agreement on a policy, such as this why do the Liberal Democrats and Labour not speak as one voice?
If both parties spoke as one strong voice, the Tories would not be able to pull the wool over the electorates eyes that it was some sort of internal criticism that made them change their minds, or that what is effectively a U turn is not a sign that they ‘are listening’, but a sign that they are in complete disarray. Same with child refugees etc.
We must not be too pleased with this U-turn. Under the Education & Adoption Act, the government have draconian powers to make any ‘coasting’ school become an academy without consultation with school staff, governors, parents or local authority. Nicky Morgan has realised their approach was like the centralised socialists, but they are likely still to do all they can to convert our schools to academies, believing wrongly that this will improve standards.
I agree with Jayne about trying to work with Labour on some issues, but it is easier said than done given the chaotic incoherent nature of that party. It is not easy either to get our voice in the media. We in the Liberal Democrat Education Association have tried to get our voice into the press and they ignore us.
Nigel Jones (Chair, LDEA)