A fightback against government plans to turn hundreds of schools in our region into academies is today under way, with activists forming a new campaign group, and county councillors urged to throw their weight against the proposal.

Eastern Daily Press: Jo Smith, one of the campaigners opposed to government academy plans who organised the public meeting. Picture: DENISE BRADLEYJo Smith, one of the campaigners opposed to government academy plans who organised the public meeting. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Copyright: Archant 2016)

The prime minister this week told MPs he remained committed to forcing all schools to convert by 2022, despite growing opposition from Conservative MPs and councils.

Currently 120 Norfolk schools are academies, while just over 300, mostly primary schools, are not.

Ministers argue academies 'have freed thousands of headteachers and leaders to drive improvement in their own schools and across the system'.

But speakers at a public meeting attended by more than 30 teachers, parents and councillors in Norwich last night argued they lacked democratic accountability, raised concerns about financial probity, and said there was no evidence they raised standards.

Organiser Jo Smith said: 'The main point was the accountability issue. We want to support students and teachers whose schools may be forced to become an academy when they don't want that.'

John Elliott, who campaigned against the creation of Norfolk's first academy, the Open in Heartsease, almost a decade ago, said: 'I think it's very important this campaign is a campaign against compulsion and not just a campaign against academies, as there are good academies and bad academies.'

The meeting voted unanimously to set up the campaign group to oppose forced academisation, and hold existing academies to account.

County councillors will debate joining those in Kent, West Sussex and Birmingham in opposition to all schools being forced to become academies.

A motion tabled for the full council meeting on May 9 by Labour councillor Emma Corlett, and published yesterday, called for the council to write to education secretary Nicky Morgan, saying: 'Well-achieving schools should not have to convert to an academy if the governing body does not believe that it is in the best interests of pupils.'

It also opposes plans that would remove the requirement for parent governors.

She said: 'I would hope irrespective of which party they are in [councillors] would think compulsion, a lack of choice, a one-size-fits-all solution and the lack of community involvement are not really party political issues.'

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