Tories in Britain have caused a ruckus with a school choice plan that would give ??5,500 to more than 100,000 parents to spend at independent schools that control their own budget and enrollments. "I want to give every parent the kind of choice that only money can buy," said Michael Howard, leader of the opposition Conservative party. The proposal also includes new, more stringent requirements for school improvement, NCLB-style. The British teachers' union denounced the proposal as costly, complicated, and likely to spark widespread litigation, proving that there is nothing new under the sun, even on the other side of the Atlantic.
"Parent choice tops Tory package," BBC News, June 28, 2004
"Teachers slam Tory education policy," by Polly Curtis, The Guardian Review, June 29, 2004