Education and Inspections Bill — Timetable — 15 Mar 2006 at 18:59

The majority of MPs voted in favour of a proposed timetable for the Parliamentary consideration of the Education and Inspections Bill, which had just passed its Second Reading in the previous vote, Division 192.

According to Standing Order 83A(6), this motion has to be brought before the House immediately after the Second Reading, and it says what day the Standing Committee will be finished -- Thursday 11th May 2006 -- and that the Third Reading will last two days.

Although the Tory Party MPs voted against this motion, there was a smaller Labour Party rebellion and it was not rejected. Had it been rejected, the Tory MPs may have been able to negotiate a different timetable.

The main aims of the Bill were to^[1]:

• Allow schools to achieve 'foundation' or 'trust' status - this gives governing bodies greater freedom to manage the school.
• Reaffirm the existing ban on selection by ability and proposes a ban on interviewing.
• Give local authorities greater scope to intervene more quickly in failing schools.
• Ensure local authorities provide free school transport for the poorest families.
• Enable nutritional standards to be applied to all food and drink on school premises.
• Allow staff to discipline children for bad behaviour even outside of school.
• Ensure parents are held responsible for excluded pupils.

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• [1] BBC Summary of the Education and Inspections Bill, 8 March 2006

Debate in Parliament | Source |