Cameron marks 100 days at Number 10 with vision for self-governing schools

Every school in the country is to be given the opportunity to become self-governing academies, Britain's prime minister said Saturday.

David Cameron outlined his vision for education as he marked the first 100 days of the first Conservative government in 18 years to run Britain.

So far 3,000 schools have become academies but Cameron wants to see more making the transformation.

More than 20,000 others come under the control of the local authorities that run the country's towns and cities.

In an article released by 10 Downing Street, the prime minister said: "We want everyone to have a chance to succeed and education is the best way of ensuring that. This means schools with strong standards and discipline, offering children a firm foundation for future success."

"It also means giving great headteachers the freedom to run their own schools with the ability to set their own curriculum and pay their staff properly. Academy schools were created to do exactly that," said Cameron.

"I profoundly believe this is the right direction for our country because I want teachers not bureaucrats deciding how best to educate our children," said Cameron.

"I want every school in the country to have the opportunity to become an academy and to benefit from the freedoms this brings," continued Cameron.

Cameron also cited training as essential with three million apprenticeships being created and better childcare provision for working parents. Endit