Lucas Green
What is a local education authority? Local education authorities are basically the local councils in England & Wales who are responsible for public education in their area. The word itself is used to describe which council is in charge of education within a system where there are several levels of local government at the same time. For example, in Birmingham, West Yorkshire and the Humber area there are councils that are responsible for all of the education in those areas.
At the most basic level: There is a local education authority that is in charge of school rankings. They do this by evaluating schools based on how well they do compared to others within the area. They also decide which schools should be included in their area by looking at performance data from the last five years. This is then translated into new rankings. These rankings are used by parents, schools and other people to find good local schools that fit with their criteria.
Of course, we now know: What a local education authority does and that is why we often hear about them when discussing education issues. But why is it important to have one in place? Why is it important for a child to go to a good local school? The reason is that good local schools provide the best education for your child.
It has been shown that children attending good local education authority schools do better in reading, spelling, mathematics and even in their social development than other children who attend other local education authority schools. They are also more likely to learn regularly and are encouraged to participate in sport and extra-curricular activities. They are also more likely to stay in school and get through to year end. So even if a child moves around as they grow up, if they have moved to a good area with a local education authority, they are more likely to be integrated into the education system.
Parents should take a close look at the services: That the local education authority provides. They should ensure that these services are meeting the requirements of their children, whether these are social services academic services, extra-curricular activities or educational services. If you are running a local education authority, you should be able to tell parents quickly whether your local education authority is providing the services they need.
Parents also need to be sure: That the education service has the right curriculum for their children. Certain subjects that might be taught in one school, may not be taught in another. Local education authorities should always strive to maintain a well-balanced education program, but parents need to make sure that this is indeed the case. When a parent sets up an Education Authority, they can then sit down with their child’s teachers and make sure that the curriculum is the same all throughout the area.
This will help to make sure that students have equal opportunity in receiving education and it will also help to keep teachers honest.
