NEWS FOCUS SecEd: On Your Side


It is an abuse of power, Mr Gove


THE ARROGANCE with which the Department for Education and its minister Michael Gove have brushed off the findings of a judicial review into Building Schools for the Future (BSF) is disturbing. In both a written Parliamentary statement and in


Pete


Henshaw Editor SecEd


answering an urgent question tabled in the House of Commons last week, Mr Gove discussed the results of the review as if they had been a victory for his Department. He focused on Mr Justice Holman’s ruling that the


government’s decisions on BSF cuts were “rational and clear” and that there was not a breach of promise to the six authorities who brought the action, arguing that these were substantive points on which his approach has been vindicated. I am not disputing this. However, at the same time,


the judicial review delivered a damning indictment of Mr Gove’s lack of consultation and his failure to discharge simple equalities duties in forcing down the axe on these BSF schemes. Mr Justice Holman said that this amounted to an “abuse of power”. These are incredibly damning words from a High Court


judge which at the very least should warrant a sincere apology from Mr Gove – not a bit of it. Even when attacked in the House of Commons by shadow education secretary Andy Burnham over the “abuse of power” judgement, Mr Gove’s response smacked of arrogance. He said: “He (Mr Burnham) refers to an abuse of power,


but he will be familiar with the fact that ‘abuse of power’ is a judicial term that has been in use since 1603 and, in particular, has been applied in judicial review cases since 1985. It has been applied to cabinet ministers on both sides of the House. As I said, I was delighted that in this case, on the substantive points, the judicial review found in the government’s favour.” And with no hint of apology, he added: “On two


procedural grounds, the judge ruled in favour of the claimants. In essence, his view is that my consultation … did not go far enough, and that I should have included the six claimants in my consultation. He also judged that I should have had rigorous regard to equalities considerations ...” Let’s be clear. These six authorities, unlike many others,


had progressed their BSF schemes to such an extent that in one area (Waltham Forest), £17 million had been spent on development costs and one school was hours away from decanting to make way for building work to start. Let’s be clearer: Consulting with these six authorities


and meeting equalities duties – which basically mean considering the potential effect on “protected groups” and ways to mitigate any damage – would have been the simplest of tasks. However, Mr Gove chose not to do this, and instead forced through his cuts based on a sweeping decision that any scheme not signed off by an arbitrary date should be axed – regardless of what progress they had made. Even as a layman, I could have told Mr Gove that legal action was inevitable and that victory for the six authorities was likely. Now, I am not arguing for the return of BSF. I


acknowledge its shortcomings. But I am arguing for fairness and transparency – for what is right. From the shambolic publication of the list of authorities


to lose BSF funding last year, when Sandwell – one of the six – was at first saved and then later axed, to the High Court ruling, Mr Gove has fallen short of the standard we should expect of him and has shown scant regard for the impact of his decisions. He has a chance now to re-examine the BSF schemes in these six authorities, actually listen to their arguments, and make an informed decision. But I fear the worst. In his written Parliamentary


statement, Mr Gove emphasised the judge’s ruling that he “may save all, some, a few, or none” of the schemes. His attitude and approach make me fear for the future


of the BSF schemes that these six councils have fought so bravely to save. Mr Gove, I cannot help but feel, has no intention of saving these projects.


SecEd


• Pete Henshaw is publisher and editor of SecEd. Email editor@sec-ed.co.uk and visit www.sec-ed.co.uk. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/SecEd_Education


ON FEBRUARY 5, public libraries across the UK hosted a number of “read-ins” and storytelling sessions as part of a campaign against threatened closures. It was all part of Save Our


Libraries Day, which is aiming to protect public libraries that are under threat because of sweeping budget cuts to local authorities. Among the activities on the


day, musician Billy Bragg sang and delivered a speech showing his support; library users attempted to take out the maximum number of books to empty the shelves; and author Phillip Pullman also spoke out against closures. The threat of closures to


public libraries has heightened concerns within the school library community and with cuts also set to hit school budgets, school librarians are worried that they will be one of the first groups to come under threat. Campaigners, for both public and


school libraries are now pressuring the coalition government to try and safeguard library provision. As part of this campaign,


statistics published this month by the National Literacy Trust highlighted the importance that a library can make to a child’s education. The research showed that children who use library provision are twice as likely to be above average readers and twice as likely to read outside of class everyday. The study also found that more


than a third of young people who use a library believe it will help them to do better at school. Sally Duncan, assistant director


at the Schools Libraries Association (SLA), said the battle for the future of school libraries might often come down to individual headteachers. She told SecEd that the


importance and effectiveness of a good school library is often affected by a headteacher’s upbringing and attitude. She explained: “School libraries


can be a bit piecemeal, in that some headteachers or senior managers are pro-library, using qualified and experienced librarians, and the teachers in the school are pro-reading. A lot depends on the headteacher. “Other schools allow the library


to go into disrepair, run out of book stocks, and get hold of any staff (to run them). The librarian could be unqualified or double up as a dinner lady. A lot of it can depend upon what the school library was like where the headteacher studied. If it was in good condition then they know the improvements and


6


Libraries under threat


Following the mass protests that took place earlier this month against the threatened closure of public libraries, Daniel White


looks at the future of school libraries


how essential it is for a child’s education.” The Chartered Institute


of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) released a statement last week emphasising that every child should be entitled to support from library staff with “extensive knowledge” and the ability to inspire wider reading. Furthermore, CILIP says that


time should be made available for children to learn skills alongside library staff so they can develop knowledge and skills for future job requirements. They also say, a safe and secure library environment should be on offer with the required wide-ranging resources, and access to reading materials. One common argument for


cutting library services is the advent of technology to support reading. In his internet blog, An Independent Head, Mark Steed, principal of Berkhamsted School in Hertfordshire, said that the more he thinks about it, the more he questions himself on why money is spent on books and the school library when the future is moving towards e-books. He wrote: “The writing is on the


wall – books are going electronic. Printed editions will be survive, but, like LPs they will be for collectors, there will always be people who want fine editions of books. However, the direction of travel is clear: mass publication from newspapers to novels will be electronic. “Last week, I asked my lower


6th Oxbridge group when they last borrowed a book from the school library. No-one had done so since year 7. Don’t get me wrong – they are all readers, most said that they would much rather own the text rather than borrow one. They don’t use the reference books, because it is quicker, easier and probably as accurate to use Wikipedia. Most saw the library as a quiet place to work or a place to get online.” Back at the SLA, Ms Duncan


dismissed the idea of moving to using technology as a replacement, claiming e-books are too expensive and are not good enough to be a like-for-like replacement.


She continued: “The book isn’t


dead yet, and e-books aren’t good enough yet, in particular for non- fiction books. Technology is a long way off replacing the book. Of course, there is more than a strong case for school libraries, they do more than just provide books when children want them, they help enhance their knowledge and prepare them for life after school. “People are still going to


university and just use sites like Wikipedia and not books, (so) they are not prepared for researching. In schools libraries you can teach them and make a lasting impact. “The danger of focusing purely


on technology is some schools could see the school library as a waste of space, when in fact it is essential to improving a child’s education.” In Britain, schools choose


individually how much they are going to invest into the school library and have to pay an annual fee of £81 a year to register the facility. Ms Duncan pointed to a scheme


in the United States which is releasing grants to school libraries to help raise literacy levels. The scheme aims to give


financial assistance of between $30,000 and $500,000 to help fund up-to-date school library materials, technology-equipped media centres, and specialists to improve literacy skills and student achievement. She is frustrated that this is in


contrast to the UK, where there is a threat of closures to public libraries and increasing budgetary pressure on school libraries. Alongside the threat to school


library provision, Ms Duncan is also worried that redundancies are looming for library staff as schools try to make ends meet. She told SecEd that she is already hearing of redundancies. Graham Small, a learning


resources manager at a secondary school in the south west of England, is also worried. He explained: “There are schools who are looking to find ways of saving money and are cutting budgets, hours or posts. The


biggest affects would be directly on teaching and learning. The problem with a post such as school librarian is that its impact can be difficult to quantify and is often not recognised until after it has gone, when it is too late. “Innumerable reports and


studies have shown that schools with libraries and librarians outperform those without them. “It is perfectly possible for a


school to function without a school librarian and without a school library. The difference, though, is between functioning and thriving. “A school without a library gets


by. A school with a library – and, more importantly, a librarian – can develop individual potential, develop whole-school strategies to support literacy, reading and information literacy, and, in short, provide that extra something that separates a good school from an excellent school.” Ms Duncan added: “A


really good school librarian and school library can help children, particularly those with little support from home, with no money for books, or without the internet at home. Schools should work together, and promote it within the school, for example an English teacher working with the librarian to promote special days such as World Book Day. “A good school library is


essential for children’s education. A really good school library promotes reading, provides children with good books and spreads the culture throughout the school and makes reading a vibrant activity.” Despite the current climate, Mr


Small is hopeful for the future. He says that the UK’s slide down the international PISA league tables for literacy, the academic focus of the English Baccalaureate, and the dropping of ICT as a core subject all provide opportunities for libraries and school librarians to support students. He concluded: “Surprisingly,


given the present climate, I see the future as being one filled with possibility. All of this is dependent, though, on schools resisting the short-term impulse to cut library funding. “This has always proved to be


a false economy when it has been done in the past; all you do is end up paying more in the long run.” SecEd


Further information


• The SLA: www.sla.org.uk • The National Literacy Trust: www.literacytrust.org.uk • CILIP: www.cilip.org.uk


SecEd • February 24 2011


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