This morning The Mirror has a story that one of the Chuckle Brothers (for those who don’t know the Chuckle Brothers are a comedy act) wants to use taxpayers’ money to open a school, with his son’s Tory partner as head.
Barry Elliott, 66, who stars in Chucklevision alongside his brother Paul, 63, hopes to set up the ‘free’ secondary in South Yorkshire where he grew up.
His son’s teacher girlfriend Charlotte Blencowe, 30, would be the head of the Rotherham Central Free School.
Elliott is one of 240 bidders hoping to set up free schools across the country.
As you know free schools, which are similar to and based on an American model, are outside local authorities control. They can be set up by, well pretty much anybody, and are the pet project of Conservative Education Secretary Michael Gove. Guess what, the Chuckle Brothers latest touring show gives a very graphic idea of how the school will work. Billed as a “Half term treat” for one performance only at the Civic Hall Bedworth (motto Art with a Heart) the synopsis on the show is advertised as follows
“Barry Potty and his best friend, brother Paul accidentally arrive at Pigsnorts School of Magic.
They actually took a wrong turn on the motorway as they had bought a second hand sat-nav at a car boot sale and it’s in German?
They were on their way for an interview at a different school as handy-men and now they are totally confused!
Paul shouts Barry, I don’t think this is the right school?
Yes it is says Paul, I don’t often get things wrong!
But it is the wrong school and strange things start to happen with magical illusions and a story that could be an episode of ChuckleVision.”
Tickets £12.50
Great stuff eh!
Free Schools are based on the Swedish model AND the US Charter Schools, which are not quite free schools as they still have to adhere to certain rules and regs.
ReplyDeleteThe Charter model, so I am led to believe, informs the UK Foundation programme. Foundation schools, or trust schools, are very similar to Charter schools in the US.