In the negotiations over forming a new government the Tories and Lib Dems are struggling to find commong ground on educational policy.
According to the BBC, the Tories' platform sponsors a "free school" plank in which families and groups can start schools and claim government spending. The Liberals claim that this would destroy educational standards.
The Lib Dems have also called for a "premium" in the state supplement for schools in disadvantaged neighborhoods, funded by increased educatonal spending. The Tories have not committed themselves on any additional spending and have on the whole favored spending cuts and lower taxes.
This is another battle in the war over the state's role in maintaining "society", or buiilding any common basis of experience and loyalty among its diverse citizens.
Americans might want to keep an eye on these negotiations, as developments in the UK often offer insight about possibilities here.
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