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iVillage's Head of Community, Sarah Fletcher, gives her trenchant take on the world of politics and current affairs. Get involved and join the debate now...

 

What price for free school?

By Sarah Fletcher on 08 Nov 2010 4 comments

A few weeks ago, I interviewed Toby Young, author of How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, naked poser on the internet (google it - I don't want to spoil the surprise) and founder of the West London Free School, which is generally loathed by teaching unions and Labour MPs.

You can read the interview here: Toby Young interview

"Opposition to Toby Young's West London free school has been about as extreme as English people, with their fondness for polite exchanges and quiet grumbling, can manage. During a BBC-televised debate, an audience member turned beetroot and shouted at Young, his finger-wagging and knee-jerking making him look like someone who has just discovered his shoes are on fire..."

IMAGE CREDITS:
  • getty images,

Comments

Did anyone see the BBC film? None of the council estate people were interested. This is a middle class agenda and toby young should stop pretending he gives a sh*t about poorer people
So how many parents from deprived areas will decide to/will be able to afford to set up their own school? Answers on a postcard...
Nicely written article, not so sure about the free school idea though! Sounds like private school for people who don't want to pay for it
I'm sure Sarah Fletcher had to make him sound positive in this interview but Toby Young to me sounds like an arrogant tory with no interest in helping poor children, just promoting his own agenda and promoting himself!