Education Bill — Allow appeals against decisions made by a school adjudicator — rejected — 23 May 2002 at 16:40
The majority Not-Contents rejected an amendment[1] to the Education Bill. The amendment would have inserted a new subsection (5) into section 25 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. This would have allowed a body to appeal against a decision made by a school adjudicator. However, the amendment was defeated.
As Baroness Ashton of Upholland explains in the debate adjudicators determine "school organisation plans and proposals where there is no unanimity on the school organisation committee."[2]
Baroness Blatch of the Conservatives explains her reasoning for tabling the amendment as follows: "parents, school communities and schools themselves are in no position to counter the adjudicators' absolute power."[3]
The main aims of the Education Bill were to[4]:
- Allow schools to exempt themselves from laws which prevented them from innovating. However, this is dependent on the Secretary of State's approval.
- Give good schools the option of qualifying for greater flexibility in the National Curriculum and teachers' pay.
- Allow schools to join together in a federation under a single governing body.
- Further regulate school admissions, exclusions and attendance policies.
- Give the Secretary of State further powers to intervene in failing schools.
- Introduce a new regulatory regime for independent schools.
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- [1] Baroness Blatch, House of Lords, 23 May 2002
- [2] Baroness Ashton of Upholland, House of Lords, 23 May 2002
- [3] Baroness Blatch, House of Lords, 23 May 2002
- [4] TeacherNet Summary, 17 September 2002
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