Education and Inspections Bill

I did not intend to speak, but we should be careful that we do not patronise people by saying that they either cannot or do not want choice. It comes across to me that, somehow, the only people who can exercise choice are well heeled middle-class or upper-class people. My children went to their local primary school. I have stood in a playground and listened to parents—ordinary, working-class parents—talk about what they want for their children. It did not seem to me that they were disinterested in choice. It is not an either/or situation. I reject the idea that the Bill is skewed to undermine community schools or to deny them funds. What would be the motivation for a Government who believe in Every Child Matters and have spent enormous sums on schemes such as Sure Start and on legislation such as the minimum wage to do that? There may be all sorts of reasons for arguing against some of this legislation, but not, in my view, some of those adduced by the noble Baronesses, Lady Scott and Lady Sharp. Although I respect the sincerely held views of the noble Lord, Lord Dearing, about community schools, the Bill is not designed to say that we do not want good communities. Of course we do, but there will be circumstances in which schools fail to meet the needs. We know that that is true. I incline to the view of the noble Lord, Lord Skidelsky, that what we want is a sort of laboratory of education. There is no set end to what we are trying to achieve. There is value and richness in diversity of provision. It is true that some parents will probably need help in making a choice; that is there in the choice adviser. We should not deny them that; we should not say that there is only one solution to the problem. I do not believe that there is. I believe in good community schools but I believe that good foundation schools, good trust schools and good city technology colleges also have something to add to that rich mix.