PARENTS, teachers and politicians in Stroud are celebrating the dramatic U-turn on plans to force all state schools in England to convert to academies.

On Friday the Education Secretary announced the government had dropped the proposals for forced academisation, which would have seen more than 30 primary and two secondary schools in Stroud forced to convert by 2022.

In a statement, hidden under the cover of council election results, Nicky Morgan said schools would not be forced by law to make the controversial changes.

The climb-down follows a passionate campaign in Stroud, which saw demonstrations, petitions and the first ever ‘kids strike’ over the Conservative’s education policy.

The announcement prompted scenes of delight at the Stroud District Council election count, where the news spread like wildfire among some of the candidates, many of whom had staunchly opposed the plans.

Doina Cornell, who was re-elected as Labour councillor for Dursley, said government had “finally seen sense”.

“It was a wildly unpopular measure amongst all parties and none. Even the Tory councillors on Gloucestershire County Council had criticised the idea,” she said.

“It just didn’t make any sense at all. A large amount of schools and teachers in Stroud will have just breathed a big sigh of relief.”

Another strong critic, Lesley Williams, leader of the Labour group on the county council, (Stonehouse) said the reversal was proof that community protest could yield results.

“It is fantastic news that the Government and our local MP, Neil Carmichael, have been forced to reverse these changes, and it goes to show that when our community bands together we can achieve great things,” she said.

Her Labour colleague Brian Oosthuysen (Rodborough), a former teacher, said the news was a “massive relief” for schools, especially small rural ones in Stroud.

Mother-of-two Emily Finch, who last week helped organise the “kids strike” against the government’s education policies said the fight wasn’t over.

“I think it is good the government have made concessions here. It shows that parents really can help make a difference. Together with the teachers, heads and unions they put a lot of pressure on the government to look again.

“But I’m cynical because their end goal is still the same as before. They will still push for as many schools as possible to become academies. The fight isn't over.

“I fear that if a school that is rated as 'Good' by OFSTED has one bad year of exam results, it could be deemed a 'failing school' and be bumped down to speed up the process of acadamisation.”

MP Neil Carmichael, who had previously written in defence of the plans, said the government had been right to “look again at the scale” of the changes being made.

The chair of the Education Select Committee said he was glad the process of academisation was more “conciliatory” to schools who opposed the changes, but hoped many would make the conversion voluntarily.

“It was a big change that we were looking at,” he said.

“I think imposition and forcing is a difficult route. So I think that it is right that we look at the scale of the changes we were recommending.

“There is no suggestion that we don’t think academies are the best form of schools. But the way they will be introduced is going to change.”

Mr Carmichael said the government would push forward with compelling academy conversions where the local authority was “struggling to provide decent education”.

He said his would also be the case where it is clear that the local authority can no longer viably support its remaining schools because too many have already become academies.

“That way we will continue to see an increasing number of academies and the development of more multi-academy trusts.

“The struggle must continue to make sure that all schools are providing excellent education for the next generation.”

But Sarah Lunnon, Green party county councillor for Stroud central, said: “It would seem that we only need our MP Neil Carmichael to support a ludicrous Government Policy for it to be abandoned, first lone refugee children and now forced acadamisation.

“Although the U-turn is to be welcomed, the continued upheaval in education needs to end.

“We need happy creative schools which enable children to learn, not the regimented, proscriptive, forced regime are children are currently saddled with.”

Academies are independently run - but state-funded - schools, overseen by a not-for-profit business, known as an academy trust. They are often part of a chain.

The government argues academies drive up standards by putting more power in the hands of head teachers over pay, length of the school day and term times.