Another Labour Minister Sends Her Kid Private

Before we begin, brothers and sisters, let us bow our heads and solemnly
read aloud:


'The Labour Party is a democratic socialist party. It believes that by the
strength of our common endeavour we achieve more than we achieve alone, so
as to create for each of us the means to realise our true potential and for
all of us a community in which power, wealth and opportunity are in the
hands of the many, not the few.'

Clause IV of The Labour Party's constitution.

Now, read on...


Kelly: I am acting on professional advice

By George Jones and Graeme Paton
Last Updated: 1:51am GMT 09/01/2007



Ruth Kelly has chosen a private school for her child


The former Education Secretary insisted that as a parent and mother she
wanted to "the right thing" for her son, who is dyslexic.
Despite criticism from some Labour backbenchers, Downing Street and
ministers rallied behind her and made clear there was no threat to her
current Cabinet post as Communities Secretary.
After losing her fight not to be identified - a tabloid newspaper and the
BBC "outed" her this morning - she issued an impassioned plea for
understanding from the public. She said she removed her son from a state
school after professional advice recommended he be placed in a school "able
to meet his particular needs".
Miss Kelly said the local authority accepted the advice and she had not
asked for any help in meeting the cost. However, Tower Hamlets Council in
east London, where Miss Kelly lives with her husband and children, insisted
it was "proud" of the quality of education it offered, while refusing to
comment on an individual case.
A council spokesman said it provided a "first class service" for local
children. In November last year, the council's education service was rated
"outstanding" - the highest mark possible - in a joint report by Ofsted, the
schools' watchdog, and the Commission for Social Care Inspection.
The report said that the council had managed to increase the number of
children with special needs who were schooled in mainstream education - a
policy championed by Miss Kelly when she was Education Secretary.
"We have a strong track record in helping children with a wide range of
learning needs to succeed," said a spokesman. "We recognise that every child
has different needs and it is for parents to decide how these are met. We
are confident that our schools are well resourced and provide high-quality
education for all learners, including those with special needs."
Chris Woodhead, the former chief inspector of schools, said that as a parent
he was not against private education. "But I am against hypocrisy and
government ministers who say one thing for the rest of us and then do
something different themselves."
Ian Gibson, Labour MP for Norwich North, criticised Miss Kelly for taking
the "easy" decision to put her son into a private school because as a
Cabinet Minister she could afford the fees. He said she should have stayed
in the state system and fought for it to provide adequate education for both
her child and others with special needs.
"It doesn't look good when certain people can get out of the system because
of having money," he said.
David Cameron, the Conservative leader, said he would not support a "witch
hunt" against Miss Kelly - even though a decade ago the Tories attacked Tony
Blair for hypocrisy for choosing selective schools for his children rather
than the local comprehensive in Islington. Mr Cameron, whose son attends a
state special needs school, said: "We all have to make the decisions as
parents first, not as politicians. Ruth Kelly is a parent first and
foremost.
"My son is at a state special school, but I totally understand that
sometimes things can go wrong and you have got to make the right decision
for yourself as a parent."
However, the Tories criticised the Government's policy of closing special
schools and in favour of children with learning difficulties attending
mainstream schools. David Willetts, the party's education spokesman, said
more than 100 special schools had closed since Labour came to power in 1997
because of the Government's "ideological obsession" with children going to
mainstream schools.
Miss Kelly said her three other children continued to be educated at state
schools, and it had been her intention for her son to continue in the state
sector. "The professional advice I received was that he needed specific
specialist support as soon as possible." He would remain at the
£15,000-a-year private school for "a couple of years before he begins at a
state secondary school".
"I appreciate that some will disagree with my decision. I understand why,
but we all face difficult choices as parents and I, like any mother, want to
do the right thing for my son - that has been my sole motivation."
She said bringing up children in the public eye was "never easy" and the
family had wanted to deal with it privately. The Prime Minister's official
spokesman made it clear that ministers would not be punished for sending
their children to schools outside the state system and criticised the media
for making the issue public and identifying Miss Kelly's child.
"What the Prime Minister supports absolutely is the right of parents to make
choices about their children's education which are best suited to their
children's needs, irrespective of who their parents are or what job they
do," the spokesman said.
Downing Street said Mr Blair had always believed in a "mix of provision" in
education, he said. "For some pupils, inclusion in the mainstream system
will be the answer. For other pupils that will not be the answer," the
spokesman added.
Alan Johnson, the current Education Secretary, indicated sympathy for a
colleague who was experiencing "complex personal issues", Labour's Chief
Whip Jacqui Smith said that "the vast majority of people in Parliament and
in the country understand that when you're a parent the most important for
you is to do the right thing for the child and their needs and that is what
Ruth Kelly is doing."
She dismissed suggestions that the education system was failing children
with special needs, as many were being helped, including "a considerable"
number in the independent sector.
The headmaster of the private preparatory school at the centre of the row
yesterday refused to comment, saying: "I don't discuss any of the pupils
with anyone other than their parents and my staff."