Newcastle North MP, Catherine McKinnell, has hit out at the Government’s plans to force every school in England to convert to academy status, describing them as ‘frankly ludicrous’ and ‘an absolute distraction’.

Speaking during an Opposition Day debate on the issue in Parliament yesterday, the Education Select Committee member said:

‘I am in a state of real disbelief at the frankly ludicrous proposal to force all schools to go down the academy route by 2020…

‘… As with so many of this Government’s policies, it is entirely unclear what ‘problem’ this policy is intended to fix. It is an absolute distraction from many of the real issues the Education Secretary should be dealing with urgently.’

Catherine went on to raise her concerns about how local authorities would be able to fulfill their legal duty to plan for new school places, with no powers to require academies to expand, commenting:

‘Councils such as Newcastle find themselves in the impossible position of being unable to consider establishing new community schools to cope with existing demand, while being legally responsible for ensuring places.

‘Demand is only going to increase given the increase in house building expected during the next few years, with 21,000 new homes across Newcastle by 2030. 

‘I genuinely want to understand this, and so would like an explanation of how local authorities are going to ensure that there is new school capacity at the right time, and in the right places, under the current proposals.’

The Newcastle North MP urged the Education Secretary to turn her focus on pressing issues such as teachers’ increasing workloads and the recruitment crisis.

She also queried whether the Department for Education is capable of assuming direct control of some 20,000 schools across England, given ‘it cannot even file its own accounts to Parliament on time’, and is currently ‘presiding over a total fiasco with the new Key Stage 1 and 2 tests.’

Commenting after yesterday’s debate, Catherine said:

‘The Secretary of State has said there’s no reverse gear when it comes to these proposals – reforms which are so vital that they weren’t even included in the Conservatives’ election manifesto less than a year ago.

‘She should forget about reverse gear, and start doing a three point turn before she heads down the path of a profoundly damaging and costly upheaval that is neither necessary nor wanted by virtually anyone with any interest in our children’s education.’

A full transcript of Catherine’s speech in the Commons can be read here.