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The BBC yet again presents a right wing think-tank’s work as objective research

Posted March 5, 2013 - 12:50 by Muir Houston

So says Open Democracy reader Mel Kelly on a report featured on BBC News Scotland

She goes further:

It looks like a public body. It sounds like a public body. But Scotland's Commission on School Reform is the child of a privately-funded right wing think-tank. Why does the BBC play along?

After reading the post, one wonders why the report was given such prominence.

Comments

A command economy for the rich and corporate elite

by Muir Houston - Mar 7 2013 - 13:40

If you want to know just how far crony capitalism is behind the drive to force schools in England out of state control and accountability and into corporate hands and profits, then a good place to start is this article published in the UK Guardian by George Monbiot entitled "A Capitalist Command Economy":

Forcing schools into the hands of unelected oligarchs is the latest contradiction of everything the market fetishists claim to stand for.

So much for all those treasured Tory principles. Choice, freedom, competition, austerity: as soon as they conflict with the demands of the corporate elite, they drift into the blue yonder like thistledown.

BBC again pushes report calling for Govian reforms in Scotland

by Muir Houston - Mar 8 2013 - 11:40

Newsnight Scotland gave further publicity to the report cited above which appears to be a trojan horse aimed at pushing for Govian refoms to be enacted on Scottish schools. Freedom from local authority control was the mantra espoused by the 'balanced' contributors!

Readers in the UK can watch on i-player.

As noted by Monbiot and others, removal from local authority control removes public accountability and democratic control from what should remain a public good not a source of corporate profit at the expense of our children.