Assembly Committee’s concern over local determination panels in School Standards and Organisation (Wales) Bill

12 October 2012

The Assembly’s Children and Young People Committee has supported the general principles of the School Standards and Organisation (Wales) Bill in its report, published today.

The Bill aims to improve standards in schools in Wales. It covers a number of policy areas, including intervention in schools causing concern; school organisation; Welsh in Education Strategic Plans; and free school breakfasts initiative.

However, the Committee raised concerns about the introduction of local determination panels provided for in the Bill. These panels would decide whether proposals to reorganise schools should be allowed to proceed in cases where objections are received.

While the Committee agreed that decisions to reorganise schools should, where possible, be taken at a local level, it raised concerns about the use of local determination panels and how they would work in practice.

“In broad terms, the Committee supports the general principles of this Bill and that was the majority view of respondents to the consultation,” said Christine Chapman AM, Chair of the Children and Young People Committee.

“We have asked the Minister to look again at the independence of local determination panels and how they will operate ahead of the next stage of the scrutiny process.”

The Bill is currently at Stage One of the National Assembly for Wales’s legislative process.

The Assembly will debate the general principles of the Bill in Plenary on 23 October. Assembly Members will vote on whether the Bill should progress to Stage 2 where it would be examined in more detail and where Members could propose amendments.