Education is a success story for Labour and there is still time to tell it, writes Graham Lane
Labour should concentrate on raising educational standards for everyone by enforcing the legislation it has passed since 1997.
Since Kenneth Baker was Tory Education Secretary in 1986, education bills have been introduced virtually every year. On occasion, the names of schools change, but the intention does not. The Conservatives introduced grant-maintained schools. Labour ended that status, but then introduced academy schools – basically the same concept, except they are not first subject to a parental ballot.
Nearly all the legislation seems to be about schools, yet these are only one part of our educational system. Tory education spokesman Michael Gove now threatens that a Conservative government would carry on fiddling around with the structures instead of concentrating on raising educational standards and improving opportunities.
Gove says he wants to give schools more freedom over their budgets. What more freedom could they possibly have? They have had control over their budgets since 1988.
Now we have the proposal that successful head teachers will be asked take over a number of weaker schools, as well their own. Schools working together can have many benefits, but amalgamating them into larger establishments on different sites and under one management is unlikely to be successful. However, a flourishing school working in partnership with a weaker one has seen benefits to both and been effective in raising standards.
Under existing legislation, local government has a duty to promote higher educational standards. Local Authorities have the power to dismiss the school governing body, appoint extra governors, re-establish the school as a new one and even remove delegated
powers from the school, including personnel powers.
It has always been possible and it is now easier to get rid of failing teachers – including heads, if necessary.
Schools Secretary Ed Balls should now take action against local councils that do not use their powers to tackle underachievement in their schools. Where there is a determination to do something about underperforming schools, standards can be raised and the issue then concerns sustaining that improvement.
Over the past few years, schools have received considerably more money. There has been a growth in the appointment of teaching assistants, which has resulted in much improved adult/student ratios. School buildings have seen improvement after neglect under the Conservatives. Teachers in England are now among the best paid in Europe.
However, some schools do not spend the entire budget allocated to them for a particular year. That unspent money could be distributed to other schools in the area. Schools with an unspent surplus or a deficit usually do worse with their examination results.
There remain issues to address, such as funding post-16-year-olds, managing the increase to 18 of the participation age in education and training, and the introduction of the new diplomas in all schools and colleges.
This must mean concentrating on standards instead of more changes to structures. We need imaginative local partnerships of schools and colleges working together. We need national and local politicians working with school and college governors.
Ending competition for students between schools would also be wise. The aim must be to see everyone realising their potential.
There are already successful programmes of summer schools, breakfast clubs, after-school personal tuition and revision classes, but what would also help is specific, ring-fenced funding for such activities, especially in deprived areas. Free school meals for all primary school children would raise educational standards and improve attendance.
Extending the weekly maintenance awards to all students after the age of 16 would also help to increase participation and attendance.
In the remaining months before the general election, the Government should work to ensure that the best of Labour’s education policies are implemented everywhere and not spend time on new legislation.
Many schools and colleges are raising standards and tackling underachievement. Education is a success story for Labour. Progress over the past 12 years would be seriously under threat from the Conservatives, with their half-baked idea of allowing just about anyone to set up a school. Most parents want to have a good school they can send their children to, not have to run it themselves.
Graham Lane is a former chair of the Local Government Association’s education committee
