By 2030, all English schools will strive to achieve academy status

Government efforts to 'level up' education will continue with new measures.

According to government plans to raise school standards, all English schools will be a part of an academy trust by 2030 or be in the process of joining one.

As part of efforts to convert all schools into academies by the end of the decade, the Department for Education announced on Monday that it would permit local authorities to establish multi-academy trusts — groups of schools supported by the federal government with greater autonomy than those controlled by local authorities.

Additionally, it will provide £86 million for multi-academy trusts and aid schools that have had two or more consecutive "poor" ratings in official inspections in joining trusts.

The initiatives are the next step in the government's effort to "level up" education and make sure 90% of kids are proficient in reading, writing, and math. Part of this effort involves transferring management of schools from local governments to more autonomous academy groupings.

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi's comments

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi claimed that the white paper was "levelling up in action" and that it would guarantee that "all children have access to a school that achieves our current highest standards."

Other initiatives include requiring a 32.5-hour workweek for all schools, promising to aid any children who are falling behind in arithmetic or English, and allocating £100 million for research into teaching best practises.

Sector leaders applauded the decision to permit local governments to establish academy trusts, saying it would allow schools to maintain linkages to local government that some thought would be lost if they become academies.

According to Lucy Nethsingha, deputy head of the Local Government Association, "Councils have an excellent track record in providing a high-quality education for students, with 92% of maintained schools assessed by Ofsted as exceptional or good."

On Sunday, Zahawi stated that closing schools for the majority of students during the coronavirus outbreak had been "a mistake" and that he would "do all in my power never again to close schools."

He also reaffirmed that Covid-19 was still causing problems in English schools, with 200,000 absent students and 9% of teachers and support staff out sick, many of them with the coronavirus.

The Commons education select committee's chair, Robert Halfon, has argued in favour of a longer school day to aid in efforts to catch up.

The "four main pillars" of teacher development, higher academic standards, parent involvement, and the implementation of regular school hours, according to him, were a "welcome ambition" in the white paper.

“I have been calling for a long-term plan for a long time and the announcement offers a real sense of hope this could be the beginning of it,” he said.