An international education guru and advisor to former PM Tony Blair will take part in a debate on the future of schooling in Hackney tonight.

As schools and colleges across the country prepare for a raft of changes to the way they are managed, Sir Michael Barber, a leading authority on education systems and reform, will be discussing the implications for Hackney.

Barber served as the government’s Chief Adviser on Delivery, reporting directly to Prime Minister Blair from 2001 to 2005, and was responsible for working with government agencies to ensure successful implementation of the PM’s priority programs, including those in health, education, transport, policing, the criminal justice system, and asylum and immigration.

He will discuss the role of ‘middle tier’ support organisations that liaise between central government and schools at the council’s Children and Young People Scrutiny Commission review tonight.

The review will also see the commission question council officers and cabinet members on how new national changes will affect local schools.

As well as the changes to national education policy, education services are facing local change with educational services being transferred back to Hackney Council this year after being run by The Learning Trust, a not-for-profit company that has been responsible for running all education services in the borough since 2002.

The discussion takes place tonight at 7pm at the Town Hall in Mare Street.