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| UPDATED
EVERY FRIDAY
Last Update:
Friday 20th
May, 2005 |
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| All
content © New Journal Enterprises, 2005. |
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| Ex-No 10 aide joins row over schools |
 THE
former Downing Street advisor Fiona Millar has waded into
the row over reforms to Camden’s schools service with
a letter to the New Journal in which she also attacks the
government’s plans for reforming education.
Ms Millar, who was Cherie Blair’s aide and is the
partner of former Downing Street spin doctor Alastair Campbell,
has called on governors not to break off talks with Camden
Council over the reforms.
Ms Millar, who chairs the governors at Gospel Oak School which
is near her home, says in the letter, which is co-signed by
two other governors: “To withdraw from cooperation at
a time when we need to present a united front on the overall
threat to local authorities in the government’s five-year
plan, the push to even primary schools into foundation status,
plans to open up state provision to private providers, the
issue of workload reform and the abysmal state of school meals
service, not only dangerous but irresponsible.”
Ms Millar also attacked the appointment of new schools minister
Lord Andrew Adonis in an article in The Guardian this week.
As reported in the New Journal last week, governors are angry
with plans by Camden to merge the education department with
social services, which must be done under new laws by 2008.
They argue that the new head of the ‘super-department’
who must be chosen from existing staff, will have no education
experience. Camden has been without an education head since
the retirement of Bob Litchfield last year.
But the rebel threat of mass resignations is not supported
by all governors.
Camden’s chief executive Moira Gibb is understood to
have privately told governors that the council must act speedily
to ensure they have the pick of talented candidates for new
positions. She wrote again to all governors late last week
in a bid to reassure them following revelations in the New
Journal.
A council press official said last night (Wednesday): “Moira
Gibb has written and spoken to governors about the proposed
changes and wrote again recently following the article in
the Camden New Journal to reiterate the consultation process
and the proposed plans. The Director of Children’s Services
will be a new post to bring about effective integrated Social
Services and Education services for children.”
But a series of meetings and exchanges of letters between
Dorothea Hackman, Chairwoman of Camden’s School Governors,
and Ms Gibb have failed to quell concern held by governors
who say they were cut out of crucial talks surrounding the
sweeping changes.
Protesters argue that the new job should be advertised externally
to ensure the Town Hall finds a candidate that has expertise
in both education and social services.
Ms Hackman led a deputation to a private meeting of Camden’s
Labour group on Monday night – but later reported there
had been no progress as councillors refused to budge from
their position of accepting the reforms.
She said: “Sadly, it would appear to have been a waste
of time. There’s a very real danger that if the council
ignores the views and wishes of the secondary school head
teachers and governors in this matter, the belief will be
they will continue to ignore them in all matters, and that
it would be better to leave a Local Education Authority (LEA)
that is no longer led by an educationalist or people who understand
the issues for schools. And they can do this. In fact Whitehall
has been pushing for the secondaries to be free of the LEAs
for some time.”
But campaigning governors are split over how far they should
go with protests and whether they should enter into further
talks with the council. Ms Millar allied herself with Mick
Farrant, the most senior governor at Carlton School, and Helen
Reardon-Bond, chairwoman of governors at Rhyl School, to appeal
for a less dramatic protest.
John Clarke, chairman of governors at Parliament Hill School
for the past eight years, added: “The change will be
a disaster for the education authority. Its like mixing oil
and water. I don’t think people would resign but we’re
going to fight what is best for our schools.”
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