U.K. Education Secretary Michael Gove last Friday unveiled the next step in the government’s school reform program. He outlined the process for allowing teachers, charities, and parents to set up new schools–Free Schools, which are independent state schools run by teachers, not bureaucrats or politicians, and accountable to parents. Today, in support of the new program, Gove performed the following actions:

  • Set out the process for how groups can start new schools and published a Proposal form for groups to fill out
  • Stated the Government’s commitment to making it easier to secure sites for new schools
  • Reallocated £50 million of funding from the Harnessing Technology Grant to create a Standards and Diversity Fund that will provide capital funding for Free Schools up to March 31, 2011

Gove has also written to the New Schools Network to establish a formal relationship and to offer initial funding to help make sure groups across the country get the support they need to start forming schools. The New Schools Network will act as the first point of contact for all groups who wish to start schools and will provide them with information as they go through the process and prepare their proposals.Source: eGov Monitor