Academies Bill [Lords] Debate

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Department: Department for Education

Academies Bill [Lords]

Mel Stride Excerpts
Wednesday 21st July 2010

(14 years, 3 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Mel Stride Portrait Mel Stride (Central Devon) (Con)
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Is it not the case, though, that if we do not sometimes have excess places, we deny parents the choice that in turn drives the improvement in standards within schools, and end up in the situation that we are in at the moment whereby we are going down the league tables in mathematics and literacy, and of the 80,000 pupils who have free school meals, only 45 are getting into Oxford and Cambridge and our better universities?

Iain Wright Portrait Mr Wright
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I would be happy to allow the hon. Gentleman to intervene on me again if he could provide a direct correlation between surplus capacity, which is what he is suggesting, and rising standards and quality in schools. I do not see a close correlation between capacity and quality, but if he would like to enlighten me on that, I am more than happy for him to intervene.

Mel Stride Portrait Mel Stride
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Does not the hon. Gentleman accept that there is a correlation between increased parental choice—after all, it is parents who know what is best for their children and can spot a good school as opposed to a bad one—and an improvement in standards?