Camden News: Richard Stein

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Camden News - by TOM FOOT
Published: 14 August 2008

Richard Stein

Solicitor confident of High Court win for Academy campaign pair

REMEMBER, remember, the fifth of November – that is the date when solicitor Richard Stein is hoping to “blow up New Labour”.
Mr Stein is representing two residents objecting to an “underhand” and “secretive” process by which University College London was named sponsor of an Camden’s first Academy school, planned for Swiss Cottage.
The High Court yesterday (Wednesday) set aside four days for a hearing that will start on Guy Fawkes Day. The date has certainly put Mr Stein in the mood to win a landmark legal ruling which he believes can undermine the government’s controversial Academy school reforms.
He said: “There’s been a lot of haggling but now it’s set – Guy Fawkes Day, and we’ve got the government worried.
“They are very scared about our argument. Under European Union community law any plans to spend large amounts of public money must be completely out in the open. Every effort must be made so that as many people as possible can throw their hat in the ring. Camden Council certainly did not do that. They selected UCL because they were desperate to avoid a Church of England sponsor. Other bidders were not invited and the public were not involved at all.”
Despite public cries for an open competition over who would run the new school and pressure for the council to effectively create a traditional comprehensive rather than an independently sponsored Academy, Camden handed the keys to UCL last summer.
Mr Stein, a former Labour councillor in Camden, added: “It is a very, very strong legal argument that could knock the government’s plans to open 400 Academies in the next few years for six. It will be a heavy blow and we are confident of success.”
It is fighting talk from Mr Stein who is aiming to derail one of the government’s flagship policies, which is supported by the leaders of all major political parties. Academy schools are funded by the government but are run privately. They are taken out of the control of the local authority and the sponsor has complete control of admissions, curriculum and staff. So far, sponsors have ranged from religious organisations to businessmen.
Mr Stein said: “University College London by all accounts do a very good job of running a university – but they have no experience of running a secondary school.
“It is a weird and silly idea that just because you are successful in one field you will be in another. Secondary schools need to be run with special expertise, which should be provided by the council, which has a great record in running schools.”
If Mr Stein and his barrister David Wolfe – who has fought Academy plans in Westminster and Islington – is successful, the council will have to start their Academy plan from scratch.
“They will have to engage everybody,” said Mr Stein.

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The academies programme has provided much needed respite to areas suffering from deprivation and where students have low aspirations and low levels of attainment. Any new money introduced into Camden to enhance the provision of education should be welcomed. The only dissappointment in this process has been the inability to find a suitable location South of the Euston Road.
Philip Nelson