Gove says he will force Downhills school to become academy

Tory education secretary Michael Gove plans to force Downhills Primary School in Haringey, north London, to become an academy.

Gove announced the move after the results of a consultation showed that 94 percent of parents opposed the plan. He wants to hand the school over to the Harris Federation.

One teacher told Socialist Worker, “It’s important that we struck because we’ve shown we won’t take things lying down.”

Julie Davies, branch secretary of Haringey NUT union, added, “We’ve got a live ballot and we can keep striking. It doesn’t end here.”

Meanwhile NUT members at nearby Noel Park school are balloting for strikes over similar plans.