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THE BRITISH Association for the Advancement of Science has won promises
of financial backing for its independent commission on education, proposed
last month at the BA’s annual meeting in Swansea (This Week, last issue).
Sir Dennis Rooke, the new president of the BA, believes the government will
reject earlier calls to create a Royal Commission but is determined to press
ahead with some form of independent inquiry.

The British Academy, which represents social scientists and academics
in the humanities, and the National Union of Teachers backed the plan. ‘There
is a considerable degree of support from a great many fellows,’ said Peter
Brown, secretary of the academy. ‘We will try to find ways to cooperate.’

‘We fully support an in-depth consideration of schooling in Britain,’
said Doug McAvoy, General Secretary of the NUT. Baroness Tessa Blackstone,
a leading educationalist, is a contender for the chairmanship of the commission.
She said the plan was practical and necessary. ‘There is a great deal of
concern now. The important thing is to take evidence from a wide variety
of organisations.’

The BA said last week it had received offers of funding from several
charities. The money would finance a research team to support the inquiry.