PA warns Oak National Academy decision will impact educational publishing market

The Publishers Association has criticised the government’s decision to move the Oak National Academy into public hands, claiming it will hit educational publishers and “ultimately damage teacher choice and student outcomes”. 

The Oak National Academy is an online classroom platform, created in April 2020 by charity the Reach Foundation as a response to the coronavirus outbreak. It has 40,000 resources and provided nearly 3,500 hours of video lesson content during the pandemic.

The education secretary Nadhim Zahawi has now announced it will be converted into “an entirely new Arm’s Length Body to the Department for Education” by this autumn, following a transition phase, with its final name to be confirmed. The first products are expected to be made available to teachers in September 2023. 

Zahawi said: “Curriculum design is complex and we want to share the very best practice so teachers can draw inspiration from evidence-based, carefully sequenced examples. Instead of each teacher reinventing the wheel, they will be able to access content, for free, that continuously evolves and gets better and better on the back of feedback from teachers across the country—saving time and improving lessons immeasurably.” 

However, the Publishers Association said the move would have an impact on the education publishers market and expressed concern about what that will mean for teachers and students. 

Stephen Lotinga, chief executive of the Publishers Association, told The Bookseller: “Publishers recognise the important role that Oak National Academy has played as a backstop for schools during a really difficult period and we understand the value of a national academy that helps teachers save time and access the best resources. 

“However, this body should be focused on activity which is not already well provided for by the UK’s world-leading education publishing sector. Any proposal for a state-sponsored publisher creating curriculum plans and resources across Key Stages and subjects will not work and will only deter private investment in UK educational resources. This will ultimately damage teacher choice and student outcomes. 

“We urge the government to work with the education sector when developing the next phase of Oak National Academy to find a balance so the commercial market can flourish, ensuring future investment and choice for teachers.”