Teachers and parents round on Gove's academy push

The Anti-Academies Alliance AGM brought together people concerned about their schools turning into academies, which are government-funded but controlled by private businesses and allowed to set their own curriculum and staff wages.

Steering committee member Alasdair Smith rubbished government claims that acadmies are about educational transformation and said reports show a narrowing of the curriculum.

"The whole thing is a lie and Gove is committing untold resources to force this through. Gove will do what he can get away with," he said.

Mr Smith added that the alliance's central task was to break down the myth that academies are about educational transformation.

"We need to keep up the message that academies are about smashing the state education system," he said.

Teachers from the Alec Reed Academy in London, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals, told the AGM that checks and balances are no longer there with academies.

And parents from the Gladstone Park Primary School in Willesden vowed to fight the decision to turn the school into an academy.

The government is trying to force the school to change after an Ofsted report in December claimed it had difficulties of progress in key stages three, four and five.

However parents said progress made by students is the highest in the borough.

A parent told the AGM that parents had started a really "lively campaign" to stop the transfer to academy status.

"Our campaign is a road block for them," she said.

"We don't know what is going to happen next but we are starting to get them worried."