When it seems as if opposition to academies is hard to find, it was heartening to read in your report and leader that “the jury is still out on academies” (TES, August 4).
The Bradford school where I work is consulting parents and staff over becoming an academy and opposing the plan at times seems futile, in the face of slick presentation and promises of a utopia for students who attend the school.
As your report stated, it does seem as if academies quickly turn into “middle-class enclaves” whatever was previously declared during consultation with parents and staff. When this happens you end up with more sink schools and a widening gap between schools in the district causing inequality in education.
Despite this, no councillor or MP in Bradford opposes what is in effect the privatisation of minds.
Having been underfunded for decades, parents and staff are now being emotionally and immorally blackmailed. The choice is to accept sponsorship and get a pound;30 million building, or reject sponsorship and wait in the queue until we get round to you.
We all want what is best for our children, so for many parents there is no real choice regardless of who is the sponsor.
Christopher Cheetham
Rossefield Road
Heaton
Bradford
