What does £2 million get you? Control over 10 schools.
Northumbrland County Council has just ceded control of one special needs scool, seven first schools, two middle schools, and a high school to the Duke of Northumberland and the Chirch of England, who plan to run them as the Church of England Northumberland Academy from next year.
http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/BB_News.asp?BB_Bulletin_ID=4102
So, Northumberland council tax payers will fund between 80 and 90 percent of ten schools with none or little say in their running, or in their admissions policies. It also measn there are no schools in the area that are not controlled by the CofE. Not one single state school is left. It's worth noting that several of the schools, the parents, and their govenors, didn't want to join the Academy in any case, but have been forced into it.
Whilst there are undoubtedly worse people in the world to educate children than the Church of England, I don't see why I should have to subsidize the practice with no say in the running of them. State money for state schools.
As for the idea that it's for the Duke of Northumberland to set admissions policy for our village schools, that's simply outrageous.