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The article offers insights of Rowena Hackwood, chief executive officer of David Ross Education Trust, on various topics including school autonomy, the importance of learning management, and the social aspects of education. Also mentioned are her career development, the policy for school autonomy, and the importance of school standardization.

The article discusses the warning issued by lawyers and leaders of headteachers to state schools regarding the loss of autonomy and becoming local branches once they become members of multi-academy trusts (MATs). Topics include the loss of single-school status, the need for government to revise its proposal to negate its application of a company-like structure to a school landscape thus, preventing loss of independence and identity, and underperformance as the only path to leave the trust.

The article focuses on the potential future for the government's academies programme. Topics include recommendations from former Great Britain's Department for Education adviser Tom Richmond in a report could also be viewed as advocating the wholesale academisation of the school system and Richmond describes his report as building on the best of both of the two world including giving heads autonomy and encouraging schools to collaborate while at the same time improving local accountability.

The article discusses issues relating charter schools in the U.S., academies in Great Britain, and partnership schools in New Zealand, particularly commenting on the relative amount of freedom afforded by the schools. It addresses concern from parents about the level of oversight in the schools, autonomy from government educational policy, and problems of contracting out school administration to educational companies.

The article comments on the rise of academies promising more power for schools in Great Britain and the need for the government to make changes. Topics discussed include how the Academies Act of 2010 purported to take school autonomy to a new level, findings of the 2015 Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) survey and competition in the kind of certification and accountability regime.

The article discusses the issues of academies programme, a government policy that allows the autonomy on multi-academy trusts (MATs) in England. Topics include the suspicion on the lack of autonomy for individual academies, the need to have standard operational procedure in teaching styles and learning, and the call to conduct training for MAT leaders.

The article offers tips and suggestions for developing the skills of middle leader. Topics discussed include need to identify the talents of each individual in the team; suggests to give people the autonomy to do their job; and importance of providing development opportunity for a member of the team.

The article discusses threat to the freedom of principals and head teachers in Great Britain. Topics discussed include the letter by the members of Freedom and Autonomy for Schools National Association (Fasna) about support to autonomy by the political parties, intervention in school by the regional school commissioners (RSC), and government policy for the teachers and academy leaders about intervention in academies.

The article discusses the fear of headteachers over the plan to convert church schools into academies by 2022 in England. Topics discussed include the potential losing of autonomy by schools under the academisation proposals, the warning of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) on the costs of the academy conversion per schools, and the formation of the multi-academy trusts (MAT).

The article discusses the impact of zero-tolerance school policies on minority students, commenting on the disproportionate impact of behaviour policies on the exclusion of black and ethnic minority students. It addresses the research of educational researcher Stephen Hoffman from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the decreasing authority of school principals in Great Britain and the U.S. under behaviour mandates, and racial stereotypes.

The article discusses the legacy of former education secretary and Prime Minister of Great Britain Margaret Thatcher on modern educational policy in light of her death on April 8, 2013. It comments on her interest in school autonomy, her relationship with the comprehensive school era, and her stance on teacher pension contributions.

The article discusses criticism and skepticism about the proposed changes to Great Britain's educational system which would favor schools with an academy status over traditional public schools. It addresses the need for school improvement programs, critiques the government's focus on school type instead of school accountability, and school independence from state. INSET: Key findings.

The author comments on the government of Great Britain's increased emphasis on educational standards based on literacy and numeracy, particularly addressing its negative effects on educational flexibility and secondary school students. He addresses changing notions about how children learn and the shortcomings of the the British national curriculum. He believes that the government should provide schools with more independence and autonomy.

The article discusses a study by the Independent Schools Association into British independent schools' attitude toward free school status. It comments on the reduction of autonomy that is associated with free schools, as well as the economic aspects of the decision to apply for free school status. It addresses concerns of independent schools over politics' effect on school functioning.

The article discusses the views of Great Britain's former secretary of the British Department for Education (DfE) Sir David Bell on teachers and educational reform. Bell is critical of teachers who oppose school reforms and performance evaluations. He also reflects on his promotion of school autonomy during his career, government involvement in school administration, and British Education Secretary Michael Gove.

Several letters to the editor are presented in response to articles from previous issues including "Failing the five thousand" by Mike Kent from February 24, 2012, "Schools' best hope lies in real freedom" by Dale Bassett from March 2, 2012, and "It's as though they just don't care" by Jane Bower from March 2, 2012.

The author argues that central government prescription, referring to set rules, regulations and guidelines, in schools in Great Britain is not affective. Instead, he suggests that schools, teachers and parents be responsible for the quality of education instead of the government. Giving schools greater autonomy will give teachers academic freedom and increase student performance levels.

The article reports on the classification change of further education (FE) colleges and sixth-form colleges in Great Britain as part of the private sector. In October 2010, Great Britain's Office for National Statistics (ONS) announced that FE colleges would become part of the central government. However, as a result of the Education Act 2011, FE minister John Hayes has announced that these colleges are getting back their private sector freedoms in April 2012.

In this article the author discusses the roles and responsibilities of school governors, or school board members, in Great Britain. He comments on the impact of increased school autonomy on the jobs of school governors, argues for the creation of school clusters, wherein multiple schools would combine their administrative staffs, and criticizes the accountability standards emphasized in the British free and academy school movement.

The article discusses the financial challenges faced by sixth-form colleges in Great Britain and reports that many are considering converting to academies, which would lead to less autonomy but more funding for the schools. Efforts to increase funding for sixth-form colleges are discussed, and advantages of conversion including increased prestige and greater support from the government are explored. INSET: Sector split.

The article focuses on the decision of colleges to the kind of merger and collaboration they should consider and when they should go for it in Great Britain. David Croll, principal of Derby College, notes the essentiality of colleges to use their autonomy and talk to potential partners. Ioan Morgan, principal of Warwickshire College, mentions the ability of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) to provide financial incentives for the awareness of ground rules for modern mergers.

The article focuses on the motion for the separation of Boston Grammar Schools Federation into two entities namely Boston Grammar School and Boston High School in England. It states that Boston High School asked for separation as the department wanted a separate school for girls. It cites that the schools remain federated until issues are not fully resolved. Richard Bird, legal adviser at the Association of Schools and College Leaders states that the separation may cause short-term tensions.

The author discusses the challenges facing sixth-form colleges in England, particularly the academisation process in the country. He says that many colleges are not persuaded to become an academy for several reasons including how schools value their autonomy, flexibility, and clarity of mission. He argues that the academisation process will impact the world-class sixth-form experience and the government should provide adequate rate of funding for colleges.

The author discusses the 2016 education White Paper in Great Britain. He mentions that the government sets high anticipations for each school and child regardless of circumstances and provides school autonomy to obtain those through any method that they opt. He states that greater autonomy on its own will not result to excellence and it is not enough to set free school leaders if they cannot access the expertise and resources they need.

The article reports on the arguments regarding the Safer Schools Partnership (SSP) being established in Great Britain. British Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families Ed Balls conceives that SSPs could help solve problems in schools including violence and gangs. Will McMahon, director of the Crime and Society Foundation, argues that putting police in schools criminalises the school environment and a specially trained teacher can carry deal with poor student behaviour. INSET: Partnerships in action.

The article looks at the worldwide problem of hiring headteachers. It is noted that in many countries headteachers have a large workload, are near retirement age, and earn small salaries, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The report recommends that the position should be made more attractive by reassessing salaries and by increasing recruitment efforts. Schools are also looking for qualified heads because school autonomy is becoming more common.

Examines the educational system of Denmark. Comparison between British and Danish educational systems; Greater autonomy of public schools; Access to state-funded pre-school education and child care; Monitoring of pupils' progress through testing; Compulsory education; Possibility of using the private sector to deliver publicly-funded education. INSET: DENMARK'S SYSTEM AT A GLANCE..

The article offers global news briefs as of February 2014 including expulsion of 11 students for hacking teachers' computers and changing their marks, funds to be provided by the Australian government to increase autonomy in state schools and funds for primary schools sport in Olympic legacy drive.

The article presents the author's insights on English Baccalaureate (EBac) education policy in Great Britain. She states that the policy was based on the traditionalist assumptions concerning what knowledge is valuable, mentioning that various excellent schools adept their working-class pupils re-engagement through a rich and diverse curriculum. She argues that access of working-class pupils to prestigious subjects that could lead to career opportunities is one of the issues to consider.

In this article, the author discusses the effect of the Programme for International Assessment (Pisa) 2009 study by the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) on the school system of Great Britain. He says that Pisa 2009 tells that countries do better when schools are allowed to have autonomy in budget spending combined with transparency and accountability. He also suggests that school reforms are urgently needed to build a world-class education system.

The article reports on Emma Knights, chief executive of the National Governors Association, who says that the government needs to invest in school governors' training and employ clerks who can give them legal advice as part of the government's plan for school autonomy. INSETS: What a lovely reception...;'Make schools part-time after 14'.

The author reflects on the radical thoughts of Sir Richard Sykes of the Tory Party on the education assessment and qualification system in Great Britain. He notes that Sykes is a militant regarding educational autonomy and criticizes the successive governments' politicization of the curriculum. He cites that Sykes is contemptuous of the culture in league tables and through him, A-levels are removed reasoning that they do not equip students with enough knowledge to synthesize it.

In this article, the author discusses the protests organized by Korea Teachers' Union (KTU) against the plan of the government to introduce a set of national standardized tests. He notes that the test is part of the educational reform being initiated by the government which aims to encourage school autonomy and competition. He remarks that people may never found out how dysfunctional the educational system of South Korea is if teachers who criticizes it are silenced by riot police.

The article focuses on the findings of an educational research carried out by the Centre for Policy Studies in Great Britain. It suggests that schools should be given more autonomy, the power to set their own pay scales, train their teachers and teach their own curriculum. This increased autonomy would come about from the abolition of a number of school quangos (advisory body) and redirecting funds to the frontline. It is expected that this would cut the education spending by 633 million pounds.

The author reflects on the impact of Michael Gove's conservatives proposal to the secondary colleagues in Great Britain. He states that the proposal has opened up a novel front and it has a dual merits of enhancing school autonomy and allowing the autonomy to breathe. He mentions that Gove's strategy could be a start of a rather refreshing revolution.

The author comments on the statistics that have been released about the further education (FE) sector in Great Britain which show how well it is doing. The author comments on how the sector managed to achieve these results in spite of the funding challenges with which it has been faced. The author compares the achievements of FE with schools and universities that have accomplished less with more funding. The author feels that taking away autonomy from FE schools could be a poor idea.

The author describes a school field trip that some of his Year 7 students made to the Landmatters Co-operative to learn about living close to nature and respecting the environment. The author comments on how a trip such as this was made possible by giving schools greater autonomy from the national curriculum in Great Britain. The group grows its own food, builds its own homes, and uses wind turbines to generate the small amount of electricity needed.

The article discusses Outwood Grange College in Wakefield, England and its proposal to become an academy. The school has been ranked as an outstanding state school by the British Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) and is the first school of this kind to seek academy status. Outwood's executive principal, Michael Wilkins, discusses why he thinks the school should become an academy including an increase in school autonomy.

The author comments on the factors that contribute to the excellence that some schools in Great Britain achieve. Coffee, reward systems, intervention and other factors are cited by the author as things that typically characterize how such school approach education. The author feels that good schools provide their teachers with a degree of autonomy but that also provide ways for teachers to approach the job.

The author comments on decentralization of the education system in Great Britain from an economics perspective. The author considers the effect that government regulation and nationalization have on education and how each would work in a free market economy. The various groups that campaign against educational innovations like academies and centralization are commented on and the author argues that education should be changed so that it operates like a free market to increase school autonomy.

The article discusses colleges in Great Britain which will be given more autonomy from universities to create their own vocational degree programs by 2012. Under the proposal, colleges would be able to target education to meet the needs of local employers. The plan was outlined by David Collins of the Association of Colleges (AOC). It is believed that the plan will lead to more polytechnic degrees.

The article discusses the Liberal Democratic Party in Great Britain and its pledge to cancel its plans to create academy schools. David Laws, who is the British Shadow Education Secretary, comments on the change and the need for school autonomy. John Dunford of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) comments on the change of school control from the central to the local government. INSET: Lib Dem proposals.

The article discusses a report by Researchers from Reform, which looked at the issue of funding for post-18 education in Great Britain. The report was sponsored by the British Shadow Secretary of State for Skills David Willetts, who advocates more autonomy for further education colleges. The report was critical of how the government manages further education and they recommended discontinuing funding bodies and giving students £13,000.

The article looks at the principles that would be involved if further education (FE) schools in Great Britain are granted more autonomy. The British Learning and Skills Improvement Services (LSIS) is calling for a National Improvement Strategy (NIS) to be created. The suggested goals include orienting goals to student-centered learning, educational accountability, and professionalization.

The article discusses the vocational diploma scheme in Great Britain, which schools would like to have more control of. David Collins of the Association of Colleges (AoC) supports school autonomy that would take the program out of the hands of the local authorities. There are 12,000 students enrolled in the diplomas program that combines classroom work with practical hands-on experience.

This article reports on PhD students at Sussex University in Great Britain who have decided to set up their own research center, because they felt that the university setting was stifling their creativity. The Sussex Centre for the Individual and Society will raise its own funding from wealthy individuals. The group's aim is to form a global network of like-minded researchers, mainly in the arts and humanities.

The article refers to local management of schools (LMS) for schools in England. LMS enables the schools to enjoy the autonomy up to the brim. It turned the lives of heads and governors as they became in charge of millions of pounds overnight. The general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, John Dunford, told that he has worked as head of Durham Johnston school for 16 years. For half of his tenure he worked without LMS and the other half was under the management. In his later tenure he flourished and made an annual budget of about £3 million.

The article narrates the author's experience of being a primary supply teacher in Kent. The recent criticism of the national curriculum have battered teachers' autonomy. The debate regarding the best way to organize a classroom became a current issue on teachers. However, the author emphasizes that the presence of a teacher in the classroom remains the most important resource that comprises the education system.

The article reports on the appointment of David Willets to the Conservative education team in Great Britain. Willets says that he has an enormous admiration for teachers, their professionalism and commitment yet his appointment includes a consultation from Chris Woodhead, the former chief inspector, thus, the nickname "Two Brains." Two principles are cited by Willets for the future include more school autonomy and the need for government to focus on classroom technique rather than structure.