Gove 'Ignored' Experts To Sell School Fields - Sky News

Education Secretary Michael Gove reportedly ignored advice from an independent panel of experts to push through the sale of school playing fields.

Mr Gove overruled the School Playing Fields Advisory Panel five times between February 2011 and July this year, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Figures obtained by the paper show that the Department of Education has approved the disposal of 30 playing fields - not 21 as they claimed earlier this month.

A further two applications are currently outstanding, while two have been rejected and another withdrawn.

Shadow education secretary Stephen Twigg accused the Government of running a secret scheme to sell off playing fields.

"The fact that Michael Gove has ignored the advice of independent experts and ploughed ahead with selling off school playing fields, shows he is shamefully out of touch," he said.

"He also appears to have failed to disclose at least another 10 school playing field sell-offs when responding to a freedom of information request. This is misleading and incompetent at the very least.

"Michael Gove must now come clean and explain what appears to be a secret programme to sell off school playing fields."

Cases in which the advice of the panel was overruled included playing fields at Woodhouse Middle School in Staffordshire, Clarborough Primary School in Nottinghamshire, Elliott School in Wandsworth, southwest London, and Ingleton Middle School in North Yorkshire.

A Department for Education spokesman said most decisions are taken by junior ministers.

He said: "Each decision was made by a minister after careful consideration of the arguments. Ministers have sought to ensure that proceeds go to improving sports facilities for young people overall. We are, of course, happy to publish the reasons for each decision."