Estelle Morris questions role of politics in education

18 May 2010

I'm looking forward to chairing former Education Secretary, Estelle Morris, when she speaks at next Monday's Oxford Education Debate, organised by the National Education Trust.

Always a sane and reasonable voice in education, Baroness Morris of Yardley will be asking whether politicians need to think again about their role in our education services.

At this stage in the political cycle, with a new coalition government that has promised to be more hands-off, this will be a timely discussion.

The debate is on Monday 24 May (4.00-6.30pm) at Oxford Brookes University. Tickets are free (booking required) from www.nationaleducationtrust.net/

The event will concentrate on the education agenda following the election, with an opportunity for everyone to have their say about how the new government should approach its relationship with education stakeholders.

Other participants in the debate are Kate Dethridge, headteacher of the outstanding Churchend Primary school in Reading and Richard Huggins, Associate Dean of the School of Social Sciences and Law at Oxford Brookes University.

The former Secretary of State will tell the audience: “We can’t take the politics out of education, nor would I want to. Yet the last two decades has seen a change in the relationship between politicians and teachers. The result is too often a break down in trust; politicians take more control to achieve their aims and teachers feel their professionalism is stifled and undermined. This relationship needs to be healed and looking at the boundaries between the two could help to do that.”

An audience of preeminent educationalists, school leaders, local authority representatives, Higher Education representatives and students will all have an opportunity to contribute to the discussions.