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As the free schools programme gets under way, James Evison looks at the background to how the concept began in Sweden Free schools and academies are at the core of the Department for Education's – and minister Michael Gove's – education philosophy. Managerial independence from local authority control is at the heart of this theory, and it represents the single biggest difference between Labour's academies policy and the coalition government's. But, it is a divisive issue in the corridors of Whitehall – and for the unions. The Liberal Democrats' rank-and-file are uneasy about elements of the scheme and rejected it in a motion at their conference – with one local councillor saying it was akin to treating children like ‘tins of beans'. The two biggest teaching unions have gone as far as to call it the privatisation and dismantling of state education. Local government has treaded lightly and has not overtly criticised the scheme. A Local Government Association (LGA) spokesperson told The MJ, it was ‘taking a leading role' in the ministerial advisory group, and chairman of the LGA, Baroness Margaret Eaton, has said safeguards would need to be put in place to prevent a two-tier education system – but, broadly, councils supported school choice. Prior to the creation of the coalition, the Liberal Democrats were not against the idea of free schools or, at least, an alternative version of them. Indeed, the idea of free schools in British politics isn't solely Mr Gove's – it's deputy prime minister Nick Clegg's too. In a speech at a Liberal Democrat conference in January 2008, Mr Clegg said he wanted the state to ‘back off' and, through ‘the genius of grass-roots innovation', allow parents, charities and private groups to run schools. He said: ‘This new generation of schools – let us call them Free Schools – [will have] freedom from unnecessary political and bureaucratic interference to innovate in the best interests of their pupils.' What's different from Mr Gove is in the small-print. He wanted these schools ‘under local government strategic oversight, but not run by the council' – a difference from Mr Clegg, who wants schools to have total freedom. However, Mr Clegg also said the schools could be ‘established by any suitable sponsor, including parents, educational charities, voluntary and private organisations with the right credentials. ‘Sponsors should be independently assessed for their expertise, with no ministerial involvement.' This could be construed as being only half a step away from Conservative Party policy. This is a stark contrast from the issues set out at the most recent Liberal Democrat conference, where the policy was opposed by party members. A week before the election, Mr Clegg said that ‘Swedish-style free schools would be a disaster'. By using the example of Sweden, Mr Clegg distanced his idea of free schools, as set out in 2008, from Mr Gove's – but is there a difference? And what are Swedish-style free schools? The Swedish free schools can be set up by anyone and receive direct funding from the local municipality – while maintaining full managerial control. These schools often have a specific profile or theme, in a similar way to some British academies, promoting a religious, sports or technology focus. This has created concern among some secularists in Britain, who claim the free schools policy will make way for a rise in the number of faith schools. Citing the Swedish example isn't new, though, and is not as radical as some believe. There are several education providers in Sweden running a large number of schools, such as Kunskapsskolan, which manages 30 schools across the country. In fact, this company worked with the [previous UK] Labour administration on its academies policy for several years, and on Mr Gove's recently-announced list of academies signed off under Labour. It is set to manage Holywells High School in Ipswich, Hampton Community College in Richmond upon Thames, and Whitton School in Twickenham. Mr Gove's agenda is a step change, but not a whole new policy. It may not be wise to cite the Swedish model, though. The country's education minister, Bertil Ostburg, has warned the British Government not to introduce free schools. He said there had been a ‘fall in quality' of schools since its introduction in Sweden. Most alarmingly for Mr Gove – and a victory for his detractors – Mr Ostburg claimed the free schools were ‘generally attended by children from more wealthy families'. This brings the issue back to the one point of concern raised by the LGA, with Baroness Eaton saying it was seeking ‘urgent reassurances' about the provision of poor pupils and those with special education needs in the free schools and academies system. It remains to be seen how this will be achieved. An Ipsos MORI poll published in April showed only 4% of the public favoured state-funded schools being run by the private sector. It would appear a long battle over state education lies ahead.

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The Swedish model in the classroom

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