The Liberal Democrats have moved a motion to decline a second reading of the Children, Schools and Families Bill.
That this House declines to give a Second Reading to the Children, Schools and Families Bill because it adds hugely to the bureaucratic burdens on schools and colleges without improving real opportunities and educational standards for pupils and without genuinely empowering parents; its proposals for the regulation of home education introduce powers which are excessive and risk undermining key freedoms for home educators; it fails to put in place a coherent system for delivering school improvement; its provisions on family proceedings have not been properly consulted on and do not take account of existing reforms; and it does not include much needed policies to introduce a Pupil Premium to support the education of children from disadvantaged homes or to establish a new Educational Standards Authority to restore confidence in educational standards and to reduce the extent of destabilising political interference in English education.
Well done to all involved. There is also a move to to guillotine the Public Bill Committee Stage to conclude by 4th Feb 2010. Watch this space (!)
February 3rd, 2010 at 5:36 pm
Please tell me that (a) the Tories will vote for the LD motion and (b) if the Tories put up their own, the LDs will vote for the Tory one! Too many times I’ve seen the vote split because parties won’t work together. Not that a Second Reading can easily be stopped, but it certainly won’t if the main opposition parties don’t coordinate votes.
February 3rd, 2010 at 8:22 pm
But hasn’t it already had it’s second reading? It is now at committee stage, then after that it goes for a third reading.
http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2009-10/childrenschoolsandfamilies.html
February 4th, 2010 at 10:14 am
Jilly: good catch. Nothing like the appearance of action to avoid its reality, eh?