Debate: Academies or Local Education Authorities - who should run our schools?

When: Wednesday, May 16th, 2012

Time: 7.30 pm

Where: Victoria Centre, Palk Road, Wellingborough, NN8 1HT

Speakers (to date): Eddie Fairplay (see details below)

Wellingborough Labour Party and Independent Socialists in Wellingborough are sponsoring a debate on the future of our children's' education in Northamptonshire and in the UK as a whole. More and more schools are considering becoming academies and breaking with education authorities. The government is encouraging schools along this route. What are the dangers? What are the pros and cons of such developments?

Speakers have been invited to debate these issues but to date only one has confirmed: Eddie Fairplay. 

Eddie has worked in education for 30 years, first as a science teacher in secondary schools and then as a senior manager in further education and sixth form colleges, always in inner city areas. He has been a college principal for 10 years; currently at Newham Sixth Form College in East London and previously at Regent Sixth Form College in Leicester. Eddie has been a Labour Party member for nearly 35 years. He stood in the 1983 general election and was a Waltham Forest councillor and chair of the Education committee between 1986 and 1990. He is currently national vice chair of the Socialist Education Association which is one of the Labour Party’s affiliated socialist societies. Eddie is committed to the ideals of comprehensive, democratically accountable public education for all.

This is public debate and will be Chaired by Martin Heath of BBC Radio Northampton.

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