CBI: Government must back business involvement in schools
A new report from the CBI has called on the Government to give greater backing to business involvement in the state education system.
Releasing the results of an independently commissioned survey into the performance of nine local education authorities (LEAs) under private sector management, it concludes that all have improved faster than the national average.
In 1999/2000 the Government intervened in nine LEAs that were deemed to be failing and introduced partnerships with the private sector. Using 2004 DfES figures, the report concluded that Bradford, Hackney, Haringey, Islington, Leeds, Southwark, Swindon, Walsall and Waltham Forest’s results at Key Stage 2, 3 and GCSE had improved faster than the national average.
But the CBI argues that the Government is failing to secure the future participation of the private sector in the education system – and claims that many companies involved in the education market are questioning its long-term viability.
Speaking this morning, CBI director general Digby Jones, said: “The Government is being short-sighted if it doesn’t realise it is in danger of losing existing skills and capacity by not better managing the market it has created. Business has to be more than just a white knight riding to the rescue when there’s trouble.
“Partnership with the private sector has undoubtedly driven up education standards in some of our most deprived communities, bringing new hope and opportunities for our young people.”
But, he suggested that there was an ideological resistance within many local authorities, saying: “There’s a real danger that ideological resistance and a failure to manage this new market effectively could result in many children never achieving their true potential, and the country can’t afford that.
“Local councils in turn must not let the ideology of yesterday obstruct Britain’s needs in the competitive globalised economy of tomorrow.”
One key recommendation is the creation of a dedicated commercial team within the Department for Education.
In addition, it calls for incentives for local authorities to encourage competition between education suppliers and strengthening the competitiveness test within local authorities’ annual performance assessments. It argues that these would help stimulate the market within the UK.
