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Permalink Reply by John Mellor on November 16, 2012 at 13:56

As a "long time member" of the forum you seemed to have missed the previous discussion about free schools on this site?

I hope the forum will not be hijacked by further well-meaning amateurs promoting their ideologically driven agenda ( ... or vanity projects like the celebrated Toby Young)

I refer you to the previous discussion where several forum members have voiced a positive alternative to opting out. I notice you too - like the other lot - seem to make a virtue of taking 25 years experience gained in the state sector out of a collective system to benefit the few, not the many.

Your prospectus contains this statement from the principal "What makes the East London Science School different from other London state schools is a commitment to deliver a high quality academic education to all our pupils regardless of background or ability."  Apart from the fact that this is an untested assertion - it's also patently nonsense. Delivering quality education to all is exactly the aim  of the well established, comprehensive, local authority  school system ... it's not different or new or special.

The worst part of all of this is the continued bad mouthing of state education - which is where most of our children will be educated.

Let's work together inside and outside schools and campaign for decent, well-resourced education for all - not set up experimental, unproven alternatives in disused office blocks.

Education is too important to become an ideological playground.

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Permalink Reply by David Clements on November 19, 2012 at 16:18

John, you are absolutely right. While I've been around this Forum for a while I missed the particular discussion to which you refer. And I am indeed a well-meaning amateur (albeit one who has spent most of his career to date working in children's services). But, more to the point, I am enthusiastic - as are the rest of the team - about being part of a new teacher-led state-sector project offering an excellent education that is open to all children. While there are excellent schools of all kinds, we happen to think there is a place for our school and that we do indeed have something different to offer. We have set the school up because we are passionate about education, and science education in particular. Indeed, as a science school we are rather partial to experiments and will be encouraging our pupils to carry them out. I am sorry that you are not persuaded but thank you for your response.

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