The government published its Education Bill on 27th January 2011 following its presentation to Parliament. The Bill will make the changes to law, which are needed as a result of the Department for Education’s schools White Paper published in November 2010.
Education Bill Summary
The Bill gives greater disciplinary powers to teachers. They will have more legal powers to search pupils and can give pupils detention without having to give parents 24 hours' written notice.
- Independent Appeals Panels, which hear appeals about school admissions and permanent exclusions, will be replaced with Review Panels. These will review head teachers' decisions, but will no longer be able to reinstate pupils if they feel that a decision was wrong.
- Some schools will become exempt from Ofsted inspections (which schools will be confirmed at a later date). Where inspections do happen there will be a focus on how the school is providing for children with SEN and disabilities.
- The Bill makes provision to refocus qualifications and inspections of educational attainment.
- Several duties are removed from school governing bodies. They will no longer have to co-operate with the local authority, have regard to the Children and Young People's Plan, or publish a school profile.
- Schools will no longer have to have a school improvement partner, or work with other schools on behaviour and attendance.
- Legal changes have been made so that the government can take forward its Academies programme.
- The Bill abolishes several school-related agencies (in line with the government's aim of reducing the number of government agencies) including the General Teaching Council for England, and the Training and Development Agency for Schools who oversee teacher training.
- The Welsh Assembly has been given greater control over teaching standards in Wales.
The House of Commons debated the main principles of the Bill on 8th February 2011 and decided that the Bill should be given its Second Reading. The Education Bill Committee is provisionally due to sit on the 1st and 3rd March 2011.
You can read the Bill and see its progress on the Parliament website, here.