Damian Inexperienced MP is a former First Secretary of State and is MP for Ashford. Alexander Stafford is the MP for Rother Valley.
One of many achievements that Conservatives will be most happy with in authorities is the free faculty programme.
Like a number of the greatest reforms we have now launched – from the Nationwide Residing Wage to Common Credit score – is it arduous to think about life with out it.
Fourteen years in the past, schooling provision on this nation was one thing of a monopoly between native authorities and some trusted companions.
The reforms that Michael Gove launched breathed new life and dynamism into the sector and the outcomes converse for themselves.
Secondary free faculties are among the many highest-performing state faculties within the nation. Major, secondary, and 16-19 free faculties all outperform the nationwide common in Ofsted rankings.
Whereas the free faculty programme has been a terrific success, there are areas the place we have to go additional to be sure that the reforms we began are absolutely delivered.
One space the place change is lengthy overdue is eradicating the boundaries that stop Catholic free faculties from opening. Regardless of being one of many oldest suppliers of schooling within the nation, the Catholic Church was unnoticed within the chilly when it got here to free faculties.
The cap on faith-based admissions to free faculties, launched on the insistence of Liberal Democrat ministers within the Coalition, made it inconceivable for brand new Catholic free faculties to open.
The cap was designed to advertise variety and scale back the chance of radicalisation in faculties. However as a result of it solely applies to oversubscribed faculties, it has punished these faculties which can be hottest with dad and mom past their religion neighborhood – largely Catholic and Jewish faculties.
The truth is that Catholic faculties are already a number of the most numerous within the nation. Almost half of pupils are from an ethnic minority background, in comparison with a 3rd in the remainder of the state sector. Round 4 in 10 pupils at Catholic faculties are from different faiths or none.
The announcement from the Schooling Secretary to elevate the cap is welcome information. It’s a testomony to the success of our present Catholic faculties and a victory for frequent sense.
Conservatives have by no means shied away from reforms which can be wanted to drive up requirements and enhance mum or dad selection in our faculty system. Lifting the cap is the newest instance of this.
Wrestling faculties away from the management of native authorities was one thing that Tony Blair tried to do with the academy programme, however by no means absolutely succeeded.
The plans had been opposed by many Labour MPs who hated the concept of their native councils shedding management over faculties. It was votes from Conservative MPs that helped to move the 2006 Schooling Act which introduced academies to life.
By the point Labour left workplace, simply over 200 academies had been arrange. Below our reforms, over half of all faculties at the moment are academies, together with greater than 80 p.c of secondary faculties, with extra faculties rated Good or Excellent by Ofsted than underneath Labour.
Quite a few these new free faculties have been supported by religion teams, together with 18 Muslim faculties and three Hindu faculties. However not a single Catholic free faculty has been capable of open. That is plainly mistaken.
Lifting the cap will make little or no distinction to the flexibility of most teams and people to arrange free faculties. Even with out the cap, new faculties must be accepted by the Division for Schooling. However the change will create a degree enjoying subject and permit Catholic faculties onto the pitch.
There would be the standard voices of opposition from those that assume faith shouldn’t have any place in society, by no means thoughts schooling. Most of them can be fairly comfortable seeing faculties again underneath the management of native authorities. However as Conservatives we worth mum or dad selection, and when on condition that selection many will select Catholic faculties.
With a common election looming, it’s time to press on with the reforms we began and permit Catholic free faculties to open.