Salford’s Religious Academy Schools
Salford council has enthusiastically embraced the Government’s Academy schools programme, which sees private groups running schools in return for ‘sponsorship’ which pays for a small part of the building of the school. And, as I mentioned a couple of posts ago, rich religious men involved in the running of these academies have been busy donating tons of cash to the local Labour MP, Hazel Blears.
I’m sure I’m not the only person concerned about these academies – and not least because they don’t seem to be fulfilling the government promise of dramatically improving results (http://www.salfordadvertiser.co.uk/news/s/1189880_citys_alevels_among_worst_region).
But what also really concerns me is the way the council has replaced state schools with religious academies and consequently excluded non-religious teachers from jobs. Salford has the Oasis Academy on the Quays, which replaced Hope High in Claremont ward, and Salford City Academy, which was formally Canon Williamson High School. Canon Williamson was a CofE school, so it already placed restrictions of its employment practices by faith – so no change with the arrival of the Salford City Academy. Hope on the other hand was a standard comprehensive, whereas the Oasis Academy discriminates on grounds of faith in its employment practices:
“There will be a clear expectation that the person appointed as Principal of an Oasis Academy will be able to demonstrate their commitment to the Oasis values and behaviours which are the outworking of the Christian Ethos which underpins the wider work of Oasis and which is set out in the Education Charter (enclosed)”
(from the job spec letter, Jan 2010, to prospective candidates for the post of Principle starting Sept. 2010).
Now I have no issues with people holding a faith, but I am extremely concerned that tax-payers’ money is being spent on replacing a school which made ability to teach the sole criteria for holding a teaching post, with one that can employ, promote, or dismiss a teacher on grounds of adherence to their particular flavour of Christianity. Should a state school really be able to fire their maths teacher because she gets divorced, or converts from Protestantism to Catholicism? Should a council make people redundant by closing the school they worked in and then pay for a new school for which they are barred from working because they are not Christian?
I for one think this is an extremely worrying state of affairs.
2:35 pm on January 25th, 2010
I have no direct evidence for this but it is my understanding that providing Academies in the City was part of deal for BSF. I don’t like PFI/PPP but I was told that it was part of the BSF deal. No PFI – no new school. Is this what they call politics?
3:26 pm on January 25th, 2010
I can’t recall off the top of my head if the council were required to build Academies – but Halton Council in its BSF consultation cites Salford council as an example of where BSF has required an Academy build: http://www2.halton.gov.uk/pdfs/educationandlearning/bsf/bsfminsgrange1406074pm
Regardless of whether deal was done, it’s hardly surprising that a Labour council, with three Labour MPs, one of whom was a minster at the time enthusiastically embraced the government’s academy programme and offered up Salford as a place to inflict the policy upon. The fact that those running the schools have such close ties to Hazel Blears is par for the course round here. The fact is that the council wanted these academies.
2:35 am on January 28th, 2010
It’s all very nepotistic and grubby – look at the £350,000 loan to Salford Reds which have direct connections to the local Labour CLP. Public interests are being blurred with private relationships.
As a practising Catholic and former Methodist, is it any wonder Blears has been getting donations from the people who are set to benefit financially in the long run from her support?
12:29 pm on January 28th, 2010
Let’s not have any comedy about Hazel Blears being a Christian of any sort!
Hazel Blears would not get John Wesley’s vote [the founder of Methodism] and neither would she get the Pope’s vote.
Hazel Blears’ political conduct and views are abhorrent to all orthodox Christians (whether they are from a Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant/Evangelical tradition).
The Christian Institute represents orthodox Christian views very well as these views manifest into contemporary British politics and the Christian Institute provides an assessment of MP voting records on its website (giving a green tick for morally right in the assessment of the Christian Institute and a red cross for morally wrong). Here is the Christian Institute’s assessment of Hazel Blears’ voting record with which I am in full agreement (as is/would be John Wesley, William Wilberforce, William Booth, the Pope, all orthodox Christians):
http://www.christian.org.uk/mpvotes.php?selection=&value1=488&submit1=SHOW&value2=1
No genuine Christian can in good conscience vote for or otherwise support Hazel Blears.
3:21 pm on January 31st, 2010
It would be an interesting test for our aspiring politicians. I am no supporter of Hazel Blears but, after a quick look, I would agree with her on many of those votes. But I don’t profess to be a Christian either.