Below is the original version of Michael's letter, which was edited and published by The New Statesmen on the 19th of March, 2025: https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2025/03/letter-of-the-week-the-state-of-education
The State of Education
I regularly enjoy Andrew Marr's insights into Westminster politics but his knowledge of state education seems rather limited - as is often the case with the privately educated. He asserts that the Children's Well-being and Schools Bill is a product of a "union-driven agenda", without providing any evidence for this view or any explanation of what it is supposed to mean; he implies that the briefing against Bridget Phillipson, that she has listened "to all the wrong people" in "rolling back...academy reforms," is justified but again provides no evidence, while snobbishly referring to "comprehensive-school thinking" without, apparently, realising that the great majority of secondary academies are themselves comprehensive schools.
In fact, as Alasdair Macdonald wrote in the NS of February 28th, there is no evidence whatsoever that academy schools are any better at raising attainment than Local Authority maintained schools but there is plenty of evidence that money that should be spent on children's education is ending up in the pockets of managers within multi-academy trusts. As for the much vaunted "freedoms" that academy schools are about to lose, one - the ability to employ unqualified teachers - is quite obviously undesirable while the other - the ability to deviate from the National Curriculum - is completely meaningless as curriculum content is almost entirely dictated by the examinations system.
Since Michael Gove was belatedly sacked from the post in July 2014, there have been no fewer than 10 Education Secretaries. Before Bridget Phillipson, the only one to show any serious interest in or aptitude for the job was Justine Greening. It is more than time that education had a Secretary of State able to combine intelligence with longevity. Ms Phillipson is obviously intelligent, is interested in the job and should be encouraged by her leader to stay in post and develop her ideas. The people briefing against her should find something more useful to do with their time and Andrew Marr should read up on state education.
Yours, Michael Pyke