Schools bill is an act of vandalism, says Kemi Badenoch

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The government’s new Schools Bill is facing criticism, with Conservative MP Kemi Badenoch accusing ministers of “an act of vandalism” that will have negative effects on deprived children. Badenoch argued that the changes will cut pay for teachers in academies, close down routes into teaching, and block failing schools from automatically becoming academies. The bill also includes measures to create a register of children not in school and allow local authorities to intervene if a child’s home environment is unsuitable or unsafe.

While Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has stated that “there will be a floor, no ceiling” on pay, the original wording of the bill could have changed the powers of academies, which are currently able to decide how much to spend on salaries. However, on Tuesday evening, the government agreed to amend the wording in the bill to ensure that academies will have “due regard” to the national pay agreements, which has been welcomed by the Confederation of School Trusts.

Opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer criticised Tory MPs for opposing the bill, which also includes measures to protect vulnerable children, set up breakfast clubs and limit uniform costs. Starmer argued that academies, which were introduced by the previous Labour government, were “here to stay,” and stated that his government was committed to academies and repeated his attack on Conservative MPs.

Academies have been a success story for the Conservatives, expanding rapidly under their government since 2010 after being initially introduced by Sir Tony Blair. But the changes to academies’ freedoms have come under political scrutiny, and while only one Labour MP, Siobhain McDonagh, has publicly criticised the bill, it is causing significant anxiety among Labour MPs, who are proud of academies

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