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Islington Tribune - by TOM FOOT
Published: 27 June 2008

‘See for yourself,’ MP urges Minister Balls

JEREMY Corbyn has urged the Education Minister to visit three Islington secondary schools he branded “failing” a fortnight ago.
The MP for Islington North told a Parliamentary debate on Wednesday he was “furious” after Highbury Grove, Holloway and Islington Arts and Media School were named and shamed in a hit list released by Ed Balls.
The schools’ headteachers have been told to improve GCSE grades by 2011 or the they will be closed and reopened as academies.
Mr Corbyn said: “I want him to see that we have three schools that are trying hard, doing well and achieving. I want him to reassure the staff and the parents on that.
“I have written a letter to the Minister, inviting him to join me on a visit to the three schools. We can start early in the morning, no problem. Any time the Minister can do, we will be there.”
Mr Corbyn said that if schools were turned into academies staff would be “demoralised”.
“Would it not be far better to support the schools that are doing well, rather than getting involved in naming and shaming schools, which does not do much good in the long run?,” he said.
Teaching unions are in talks with parent governors and councillors about a campaign to fight plans for any more academies in Islington.
If the three schools became academies it would leave half of Islington’s 10 secondary schools out of the control of the local authority, creating a two-tier education system in Islington.
On Monday the Islington Campaign Against Academies – which was formed to fight plans to transform Mary Magdelene and Islington Green schools into academies – was relaunched.
NUT spokesman Ken Muller said: “ICAA was formed to fight those plans but since the schools are becoming academies we have had no reason to meet. Now there is a new threat. Dubbing schools failing is an incredibly damaging thing to do.
“None of these schools are failing. We want the campaign to be as broad as possible. We want everyone to come together on this one.”

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