The David Cameron’s Big Society begins to take shape with the opening of 24 “Free School” in the whole of Her Majesty territory. Designed to meet the needs of the poorest and most disadvantaged areas of England, these institutions have mainly the characteristic to be founded by parents, teachers, charity or third sector associations. Compared to traditional public or private schools, they receive state funding only in proportion to the number of pupils that succeed to attract and they are also beyond the control of local authorities. However, they must strictly comply with the educational programs imposed by the responsible Minister, accountable for the obtained results and they cannot escape the control of the National Inspectorate. In short, it is the practical application of the third way of British Prime Minister: less welfare, less private-sector and “more society”. All that remains is to wait and see if the efforts of recent months by the conservative Government and the inhabitants of communities will bear fruit.
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