Unions call for Education Bill to be dropped from Queen’s Speech
Unions have come together to call on the government to drop the new Education Bill from the Queen’s speech and instead ‘engage in meaningful discussions with groups representing the education profession’.
The Education Bill, which was initially set to introduce the government’s plans for the every school in England to be converted in an academy, has faced strong opposition from Education professionals, parents and local government, with a large number of Conservative Councillors speaking out against the proposals.
The Association of Educational Psychologists (AEP), Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), National Union of Teachers (NUT) and Unison, which represents school support staff, have joined together to urge to government to drop the Education Bill from the Queen’s Speech at the opening of Parliament.
Education Secretary Nicky Morgan has backed down the proposals to force every school to convert into an academy, meaning only those deemed as failing or coasting will be forced to convert, as well as those in local authority areas no longer deemed to be ‘viable’.
The unions have welcomed these changes, but still argue that the academisation of schools will be costly and not address the real issues. Instead, they suggest that the government should focus on ‘the pressing issues in education’, including funding issues, teacher shortages and assessments.
Read moreLatest News
12/03/2026 - 10:03
Education Business LIVE 2026 will feature a session from NASBTT on how teacher training programmes can build trainees’ knowledge, attitudes and essential soft skills.
12/03/2026 - 09:48
An Ofsted report finds the challenges schools face in supporting children in care are mainly due to inconsistencies in local authority practice, unclear national expectations, and a lack of training for staff.
11/03/2026 - 14:00
The new measures will help universities meet their Prevent Duty, while the Office for Students will strengthen how it monitors whether universities are meeting Prevent responsibilities.
11/03/2026 - 10:03
Education, finance and digital V Levels will be the first subjects introduced as part of the government's post-16 education changes.
10/03/2026 - 10:26
Education leaders will explore the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence and digital transformation in schools at Education Business LIVE 2026, taking place on 26 March at Old Billingsgate.
