Past the tipping point

When Thatcher's closest political friend and Secretary of Education Keith Joseph was persuaded by his officials not to introduce choice into public education because "people might make the wrong choices", the last chance to halt the slide towards a totally politicised educational system was missed. State education in Britain is now mainly concerned with social engineering and cares little about teaching and learning, and there's no way back.

Michael Gove's proposals will not lead to a turn-around, because the power of the leftist teachers' unions in alliance with the local authorities will kill any attempt by school principals to break out of the spiral of failure in the catchment areas that most need to do so. The Spectator cites an example:

A headmistress in a predominantly black inner-city school  was ‘outed’ when Gove’s department released names of schools interested in applying for independent status. She received a letter by an official from the National Union of Teachers, angry that she had not revealed her plans earlier. A copy of their exchange has been seen by The Spectator. "This fundamental attack on state schools, held democratically accountable through local authorities," said the NUT letter, "apparently means very little to you."

"We are absolutely not seeking a conflict," the letter continued. "Nonetheless we regard these proposals as a fundamental attack on state education and will, for the sake of our members and the children we teach, do everything we can to stop any school becoming an academy. And this includes industrial action and campaigning amongst the parents."