THE largest teaching union in the country has vowed to fight proposals to bring in a private company to run schools in Bradford.

Already facing the massive upheaval of the reorganisation from a three to a two-tier system of education and the shake-up of management at City Hall, Ilkley schools now face the prospect of further disruption from the local education authority.

In an announcement made as the schools broke up for the Easter holiday, Bradford Council leader Ian Greenwood said that negotiations had been taking place with the Government about a plan to hand over the running of education in the district to a private company.

The announcement caused dismay in Ilkley among governors, staff and parents who felt that pupils were facing enough upheavals already.

The move to privatise education comes as the council awaits a report from Ofsted which is widely expected to condemn its education service. The release of the report has been delayed until after the local elections next Thursday.

A partnership board chaired by a leading educationalist with members including two leading councillors and representatives of business and local organisations would oversee the private company's performance.

The council would retain some of its existing functions including maintaining school buildings and carrying out inspections.

Meeting in Harrogate this week, the National Union of Teachers has threatened to go on strike if privatisation was forced upon members who did not want it.

A motion against privatisation in

education proposed by Bradford Secretary Ian Murch was given high priority and passed unanimously.

It proposed teachers should go on strike in areas where the involvement of private companies threatened the jobs, conditions or pay of NUT members.

Mr Murch told the conference: "Why does a Labour Government, assisted by a Labour council, seek to demolish public provision and abolish local democratic control?"

The union is to hold a major conference on privatisation in the autumn term and the Bradford branch is to play a key role in collecting evidence and information.

But Coun Greenwood (Lab - Little Horton) said that the strikes should be a last resort for teachers.

He said: "I think to take strike action would disrupt pupils. I don't think we are in a last resort situation."

But members of the City Hall union Unison have also greeted the announcement with anger and plan to hold a protest meeting in Bradford next month.

The town's Labour MP Ann Cryer said she was apprehensive about the plan to use a private company to run the education of Ilkley's children.

Mrs Cryer said: "I am not over the moon about it but it is the sort of decision the Government is going in for - the public-private partnership.

"It is not an easy education area - it has a cachment area which includes great

poverty and lack of English on entering school. It (privatisation) is not an

automatic generator of success. I am a bit apprehensive about it."

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