Balls to get tough on failing schools

In an interview with the Guardian this morning, Ed Balls pledges to crack down on failing schools:

“We don’t want to see excuses about poor performance, what we want to see is clear plans to raise standards in every school with a clear expectation that if by 2011 there are still schools stuck below 30% … and there’s not been a radical transformation at that point, our expectation will be that the school closes and reopens as a national challenge trust or academy.”

Ok, so a drive to improve standards is a good thing. As, in essence, is a quickening of the academies programme. But let’s not forget that these are debased academies. Balls has done all he can to wed them more closely to central control, including imposing elements of the national curriculum. This dilutes the effectiveness of the academies, which have thrived because of their independence. There should be a massive question mark over spending £billions to replace failing schools with half-hearted academies.