The long-term effects of chemical weapons such as Agent Orange mean that the impact of war lasts well beyond a ceasefire
Latest editorial
The dangerous power of Multi Academy Trusts
These vast multi-school bodies are fast becoming a monopoly in our marketised education system — one that can lobby the government to defy inspection and democracy, warns STEVE HANDFORD
The catastrophe unfolding in Gaza – where Palestinians are freezing to death in tents – is not a natural disaster but a calculated outcome of Israel’s ongoing blockade, aid restrictions and continued violence, argues CLAUDIA WEBBE
CJ ATKINS argues that despite losing the election, Chile’s left remains big and organised and must unite to resist the new far-right government
Take a read of the latest Unite Hospitality Glasgow Strike Bulletin and hear from workers fighting for better pay and dignity at work
Alba party leader KENNY MacASKILL makes some suggestions on how to save our pubs and reduce irresponsible drinking
After years of austerity and denial under a new Reform UK council, a failing Send service was pushed into the spotlight by staff, unions and parents — culminating in a £1.3m funding boost and a 50% increase in front-line workers. MARTIN PORTER explains
JUST this week the Confederation of School Trusts, a powerful body representing most academies in Britain, issued a paper asking for a comprehensive review of the Ofsted inspection system — a review that proposed a weakening of Ofsted oversight and accountability for academy trusts.
Powerful trusts have merged, and they are starting to flex their muscles financially and politically. Multi Academy Trusts (MATs) were exempt from Ofsted inspection for many years, but due to various scandals about quality, transparency and accountability, this was reversed in 2016. Now, however, the favoured child of the Ofsted inspection system is, like Frankenstein’s monster, starting to exert control over its creator.
To set some context to this, Ofsted is controlled by a Tory government that believes, without a shred of evidence, that MATs are the route to school improvement. Ofsted arrives at schools with this prejudicial agenda. Non-academised schools are often judged harshly by Ofsted and then forced into academy trusts.
Similar stories
We face austerity, privatisation, and toxic influence. But we are growing, and cannot be beaten
NEU conference urges Labour to fix school funding crisis by getting rid of academy bosses earning over £500,000
As the government moves to rein in academy freedoms, former darling of conservative education reform Katharine Birbalsingh cries ‘Marxism.’ Education columnist ROBERT POOLE examines how academisation has failed our children while enriching executives and empowering ideologues at the expense of democratic accountability
