TODAY'S education vote in Parliament is, according to the Prime Minister, all about giving schools greater freedom and parents greater choice.
But the problems and pitfalls of these ideas are clear to see in Tony Blair's own constituency of Sedgefield.
Firstly, let's address the question of choice. Most parents do not want a choice of schools for their children. They do not want to decide at the age of ten whether their child should specialise in arts, sport, mathematics etc... They do not want to worry about whether their child is going to a trust, foundation, academy, grammar or comprehensive school.
They do not want to bus their child miles to reach the school gates.
They just want their local school, at the heart of their community, to do an excellent job in providing an all-round education that brings out the best in their child.
In many rural areas there will never be any choice. There may be plenty of schools in overcrowded London to choose from, but up here there are plenty of places where there is only one school in the dale or district. It is therefore imperative that that school caters for all of its community.
Then we turn to the question of freedom. In Sedgefield constituency, Hurworth parents - distressed at the thought that their school will no longer be local - want to take their school out of local authority control. This should be a marvellous opportunity for Mr Blair to show how Sedgefield can lead the way.
But the local MP is quiet, perhaps because he can see the bigger picture. Perhaps he can see that someone needs to be in overall control of education, that you cannot have schools spinning off wily-nily to do their own thing.
Because if Hurworth becomes a trust school, as Mr Blair's Bill wants it to, what becomes of Eastbourne? How will it get the money to rebuild? Who will plan its future? Who will control Hurworth's admission policy to ensure it doesn't select all the bright children, leaving Eastbourne with the rest?
We understand and sympathise with both sides of the Hurworth/Eastbourne saga. But we cannot see how today's Education Bill is going to improve the situation.
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