6/8/2008 10:53:00 AM
The Observer 8 June
Hundreds of the worst performing secondary schools in England will be given an ultimatum by the government this week: improve or face being shut down. Ministers will tell local authorities they have 50 days, until the end of the summer term, to produce detailed 'action plans' for each of the 638 secondary schools where fewer than three out of 10 pupils achieve five good GCSEs - the government's 'floor target'. Once the plans have been submitted the schools will have less than three years to transform or face being closed down, merged or turned into privately run academies. Despite billions of pounds being spent on education since Labour came to power in 1997, almost 60 per cent of pupils - 3.9 million over 10 years - have left school without gaining five C grades at GCSE, including in English and maths. One million teenagers have failed even to achieve five G grades. The promise to turn around poor performing schools comes only days after ministers warned that failing hospitals could be placed in the control of private healthcare managers. The major announcements are part of a government attempt to claw back some political ground from the Conservative party, which is pulling ahead in the polls. Labour's crushing defeat in the Crewe and Nantwich byelection, a previously safe seat, left the party and Prime Minister Gordon Brown bruised and humiliated. Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, said: 'Schools have improved massively since 1997. But there are still too many where under a third of pupils get five good GCSEs, including English and maths. With all the support on offer for parents and schools, no child is on a pre-determined path to low results - whatever their background and wherever they go to school.' Balls will demand to see specific proposals from the 134 out of 150 local authorities that oversee the underachieving schools. He will also call on governors to set up meetings to review what they need to do to get above the target, which is seen as an absolute minimum.Observer
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