Tory Party’s idea is worthy of debate

A MONOPOLY is rarely a good thing for the consumer, but now the Tories are making the same point about state schools: how will struggling schools improve when the system allows them to carry on regardless or simply get worse?

Now the Conservatives have suggested a radical shake-up, which would see poorly-performing state schools taken out of local authority control and run by charities, trusts or something similar.

The postcode-lottery factor has slipped into common parlance in relation to health issues in recent times, but the same has been going on in schools for years. Where you live can dictate success or failure at a very early age. If a child happens to live in the wrong place, they can be dumped in a poor school where no one expects very much and any ambition is knocked out of them at a very early age as they are dragged down to conform with the lowest common denominator.

Some schools perform minor miracles in areas of social deprivation, but many do not. As local authorities have no competition, what incentive is there for them to try any harder? The idea is worthy of debate. After all, whoever takes over these schools could hardly do any worse than those running them at present.