CYP Now - Analysis: City Academies - Row over pupils' rights escalates

City academies have always been controversial, but now further fears have been raised by the revelation that pupils attending academies may have fewer rights than their peers who go to local comprehensives. David Singleton reports.

The Government's city academy programme has been controversial from theoutset, criticised by many as allowing wealthy businessmen to buyschools on the cheap. Academies have also been accused of cherry-pickingmore able children from middle-class families.

For many in the education sector they are at best an unproven way oftransforming failing schools. And now there is mounting concern thatpupils attending academies have fewer rights than those at localauthority maintained schools (Children Now, 8-14 February).

Human rights protection

"It is pretty likely a child in an academy would not have human rightsprotection in the same way that they would in a maintained school," saysDavid Wolfe, a barrister at law firm Matrix Chambers.

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