Search Mobile

collapse

already registered?

Please sign in with your existing account details.

Email address

Password

need to register?

Register to access exclusive content, sign up to receive our updates and personalise your experience on brownejacobson.com.

Privacy statement - Terms and conditions

Forgotten your password?

collapseSign

Browne Jacobson home

Education home

Insights

Blogs

Parties set out education plans

parties set out education plans

19 August 2014

The General Election may not be until May 2015 but the main political parties are already setting out their stalls on the future of education if they win power… and throwing plenty of muck at the opposition's plans which they no doubt hope will stick in the public’s consciousness over the next nine months.

Yesterday was Labour’s turn, with shadow education secretary, Tristram Hunt, outlining his party’s blueprint for education including Ofsted inspections for academy chains, greater emphasis on CPD for teachers and promoting ‘parent-led academies’ for new schools. In return, he warned that the Conservatives would “attempt to apply the totalising simplicity of their privatisation logic” by modelling the system more closely on Sweden, which includes free schools run by for-profit companies.

Whilst the political parties exchange insults and rhetoric over the next few months, those working in the sector have an uncertain time ahead as we wait to see whose vision of education will be implemented next spring.

related opinions

School uniform under media spotlight

The new academic year has started with controversy over school uniform. Last week, a government inquiry heard evidence that costs for parents are being exacerbated by compulsory branded uniform, including clothing with school logos, and operating contractual arrangements for the supply of these items with single retailers.

View blog

Education Secretary confirms DfE 'backing' for exclusions

Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson, has confirmed that head teachers who take “the decision to either suspend or expel a pupil because they need to do it in order to be able to enforce proper and full discipline in their school, and making sure that they're protecting the whole interests of the school, will always have my backing".

View blog

Welcome news for sixth form colleges looking to academise

The Government has accepted calls from sixth form colleges to reopen the option to become academies.

View blog

RSE guidance issued - but do teachers feel ready?

In our previous blog we updated you on the new requirements to teach relationships, health and sex education (elements of which are phase specific) which will become mandatory in September 2020.

View blog

View all blogs