Education bill 'about old scores'

By Katherine Sellgren
BBC News education reporter at the ASCL conference

The vote was seen as a test of Mr Blair's authority

Parliamentary debate over Tony Blair's school reforms has been more about "settling old scores" than improving educational standards, head teachers say.

The government's controversial plans were passed in the Commons on Wednesday, but only with the support of Conservative MPs.

The reforms were seen as a crucial test for Mr Blair and Education Secretary Ruth Kelly, with 52 Labour backbenchers voting against the Education and Inspections Bill and 25 not voting at all.

School leaders say they watched "with incredulity" as MPs "jockeyed for political gain".

The general mood among heads at the annual conference of the Association of School and College Leaders in Birmingham was that the debate in Westminster was more about politics than education.

"Heads see it as spin," said Dr John Dunford, general secretary of the ASCL.

"It's been confusing, so they just get on with the job in hand and see what happens."

'Nothing to do with me'

"When the bill was going on, I didn't feel it was anything to do with me," said Anne Welsh, head of George Stephenson High School in Newcastle.

"And nothing to do with the pupils, except for the behaviour elements," she said.

EDUCATION VOTE For: 458 Against: 115 Majority: 343 Labour MPs voting for: 274 Labour rebels: 52 Labour MPs not voting: 25 Tory MPs not voting: 20

"There's a feeling of disappointment, because I don't perceive there's a sense it's going to achieve very much," said Kate Griffin, head of Greenford High School in Ealing, London.

"There was so much hype in the months before it was published, people really expected something," she said.

"It's more about structure than the core purpose of education."

'Cure for insomnia'

Prior to the ASCL conference, head teachers were invited to submit questions for the Schools Minister, Jacqui Smith, who addressed delegates on Friday.

But questions on the bill were not forthcoming, with delegates preferring to quiz Ms Smith on Ofsted inspections, schools bursars and workload, not to mention the negative portrayal of schools and teachers in the new BBC television drama, Waterloo Road.

Yet despite the general mood of education bill apathy, Dr Dunford did find some benefit to be drawn from the bill.

"Its confusing text can, however, cure insomnia, provoke insanity and conjure up wonderful images."