Fiona Millar

Millar launches battle against reforms

Special Report: With hundreds of parents demanding a school for their children the New Journal examines the controversies over the future of education

FIONA Millar – the former Downing Street adviser – has challenged the government to go back to the drawing board with reforms for education.

She launched her alternative proposals for schools in a packed committee room at the House of Commons on Thursday, arguing that ministers risk creating class divisions with a new system of pupil selection.
Dozens of supporters were forced to listen from the corridors due to the high demand for the meeting.
Education Secretary Ruth Kelly wants to reduce the role of local authorities over education and hand more power to new sponsored Trust Schools.
She told the New Journal on Tuesday that parents should welcome the reforms, pledging to introduce a system that would improve school performance.
But it is feared, by opponents to the proposals, including almost 100 MPs, that the change will lead to schools choosing their own pupils at the expense of disadvantaged families.
There is also mounting concern that private sponsors will have the chance to meddle with the way schools are run.
Ms Millar, who lives in Estelle Road, Gospel Oak, attacks the government’s white paper for education in a pamphlet co-written by journalist Melissa Benn, daughter of veteran Labour party politician Tony Benn.
Ms Millar told the meeting: “There is no evidence that a business sponsor is any more likely to run a successful school than a good local authority with a good head.”
In a widely-applauded speech, Ms Millar added that a skewed system had already been used by some schools, adding that she had received a letter from a parent who had been asked to produce a marriage certificate during the admissions process.
She said: “I have to pinch myself when I hear our education ministers denouncing the 11-plus. Maybe they don’t know that it’s still going on.”
Ms Millar – whose partner Alastair Campbell, the former Labour Party spin doctor, attended the meeting – said that there was great unrest over the reforms and that opponents had a “gut feeling” that they would end in disaster.
On Tuesday Ms Kelly poured scorn on the rebellion – insisting the changes made sense.
She said: “Schools will have fully comprehensive intakes but we need to make sure every single school is good. We can’t have real choice for parents without there being a choice of good schools. The way to achieve excellent schools is to empower them to make the changes that are right for them, their pupils and parents. If they have got a good idea, if they want to build a vocation building or work with the local universities, I think they should be able to do it.”