I enjoyed reading Hannah Barnes’s interview with Katharine Birbalsingh (The NS Interview, 14 February). Birbalsingh is undoubtedly an effective leader, a skilled orator and a relentless advocate for her vision. But let’s not pretend she is the sole proprietor of academic excellence in England, nor that her penchant for pugilism is the only way to secure high standards.
Birbalsingh is both a populist and a maverick, capable of starting a fight in an empty room and then claiming victory. Her interventions are often designed less to illuminate complex issues and more to provoke another ideological skirmish. The current furore over the Schools Bill is no exception.
Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month
Content from our partners
