As Education Secretary Michael Gove struggles on with efforts to privatise education under the pretence of improving standards, one North London school is fighting back.

In doing so it is following the example of dozens of other schools who have waged recent struggles against the encroaching dead hand of the market.

The school, Downhills Primary in Haringey, which was put under notice to improve within a year by inspectors last April has taken steps to improve standards and a monitoring visit in September found a “clear trend of improvement.”

However Gove’s scheme has been  frustrated by the masses of parents, teachers and governors at the school and others who have rebelled against academy status being imposed. He claims they are preventing him from tackling failure and putting their beliefs before the students’ education. Yet the inspectors’ report shows the school was raising its standards satisfactorily under Local Authority control.

The school believe they have a strong case against the government, as it is due an Ofsted inspection within the next four months. The Headteacher, Leslie Church, said it was premature of Gove to attempt to force the issue. Due to this the Tory Cabinet Minister has been given two weeks to respond to ‘a statement of claim’ against him or face a judicial review over his conduct.

By becoming an academy the school would be independent of the Local Authority (council) and put under the control of a ‘sponsor’. This is absolutely no guarantee standards will improve. Academies can use their own curriculum, can specify it’s intake, and must pay for local authorities’ services such as support for those with additional needs. As one parent said ‘there is nothing magical about academies.’

Because Education services provided by the Academy must be paid for by the sponsor, it allows the entry of market forces into our education system. Sponsors are unwilling to fork out for the specialist services provided in state schools. Schools under private management provide every incentive to cut corners, reduce costs and reap a maximum profit out our education.

Schools put under notice to improve by Ofsted tend to be located in areas where the intake is largely working class. Problems in schools largely stem from the wider social problems experienced by its intake. By cutting ties with the local authority Academies sever vital links with social services, local hospitals and other services which play a central role in the lives of many young people.

Schools need clear structures linking parents, students, teachers and the governing body together to improve the standards of education. Instead the government is allowing the education industry to cherry-pick the best schools and trying to offload their responsibility for the worst.

It’s clear that this government cannot be trusted to protect and invest in our country’s education. In fact they are doing the total opposite. We should not take an economic crisis as justification for destroying a fundamental right won through massive struggle and sacrifice.

Education is a right, and defending it means we have to organise a united struggle against this government, and their pro-rich austerity cuts.

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