Michael Gove reportedly has no "ideological objection" to firms running academies making a profit

From the Guardian:

The government has "no ideological objection" to businesses seeking profits from the new generation of academy schools and free schools, Michael Gove has said. But the education secretary said his preference was for teachers and other experts to decide how to run and improve schools and said he expected most acadmies to be run as philanthropic projects.

"I am a Conservative, I do not have an ideological objection to businesses being involved but the professionals should make that decision," Gove told an audience of teachers at Hay Festival. "My view is that school improvement will be driven by professionals not profitmakers."

It is the first time Gove has publicly backed private companies profiting from running schools' services since he became education secretary and announced a major expansion of academies.

I wonder whether the Liberal Democrats will react to this in the positive way in which I would anticipate most Conservatives will. Whereas both Coalition parties signed up to an agreement of a codified set of policies, it remains something of a mystery as to how things will proceed as and when either party wants to move a policy forward...

Jonathan Isaby