School choice
From Andrew Haldenby
Sir: Michael Heseltine’s description of school choice — allowing parents to use taxpayers’ money to choose independent or state schools — as ‘cloud-cuckoo-land’ (‘Investigation: the Tory way ahead’, 11 June) would be a major surprise to parents in Sweden, certain American cities and the Netherlands where it has worked successfully for the last 13, 15 and 88 years respectively. Contrary to his fears, new schools have opened quickly and failing state schools have improved — often dramatically — in order to keep their pupils.
School choice actually works in Britain too, but only for better-off parents who can afford private education or houses in the right catchment areas. The point of education reform is to extend the same opportunity to families in deprived areas, a constituency which Lord Heseltine did so much in government to help. He should support the policy.
Andrew Haldenby
Director, Reform, London SW1
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