In a surprise announcement, BBC News has reported that Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, acting in his capacity as Liberal Democrat leader, has said that his Party’s 2015 General Election manifesto will state that all English schools should have qualified teachers and follow a core curriculum. At present, staff at academies and free schools are not required to have formal teaching qualifications and have broad control over the curriculum.
In a similar alignment with Labour’s education policy, Clegg has said the manifesto would include a “parental guarantee”, meaning that all teachers must be qualified or working towards a qualification. However, he also confusingly added that “Liberal Democrats want more teachers and schools to enjoy freedom from Whitehall diktats.” The move comes in response about the ongoing furore about the alleged “Islamification” of some schools in Birmingham.
