MPs split on education (From Warrington Guardian)

MPs split on education

THE controversial education bill split opinion between Warrington's MPs.

Helen Southworth voted in favour but Helen Jones was one of 52 Labour rebels who forced Tony Blair to rely on Tory support to win the vote by 548 to 115.

Helen Jones, a former teacher whose constituency is Warrington North, worked on a rebel alternative bill and spoke at the debate before the vote on Wednesday.

She was particularly

opposed to the provision for trust schools, which bring in outside agencies like churches, charities, businesses or the armed forces to jointly run schools.

She told her fellow MPs: "There is much in this bill that is sensible. But I deeply regret that I cannot support the Government's proposals for trust schools because I believe them to be wrong in principle and flawed in practice.

"We pass on skills that

we need to the next generation, and we also try to transmit values to them.

"One cannot contract out that process - it is one of the basic responsibilities of civil society."

She also believed it would make schools dependent on money from the outside bodies, which she considered a backwards step.

Mrs Jones said: "It is not a reform for this century, but a return to the notion of philanthropism that applied in the 19th century."