Education Bill must focus on standards not structures: Mulholland

12.00.00am GMT Wed 1st Mar 2006

Commenting on the publication of the Education Bill, Greg Mulholland, MP for Leeds North West, said;

"Many parents and education professionals in Leeds want reform in our local schools but if the Bill focuses on structures, not standards, then I think it will be a huge disappointment for many people.

"I want to see Ministers giving ground over admissions, trust schools and local accountability. I can only support a Bill that makes getting into your local school fairer and less complex.

"We need a Bill that gives schools more freedom over what they teach, not who they teach, a Bill that fosters collaboration, not just competition and a Bill that make schools accountable to local parents, not distant quangos.

"My colleagues and I will study the bill in-depth before deciding to vote for or against it but the more Ministers stick to the principles of equality of opportunity and local accountability, the more likely I'll be to back it."