Education
Education is the route to opportunity and prosperity. Successive governments have never given education the top priority it deserves. Our objective must be the delivery of a first-class education for all, regardless of location or background. Any attainment gap is unacceptable.
| The Peoples Party must: |
|---|
| double education funding to £250bn, an average of over £25,000 per pupil to transform education at all levels |
| establish all “state” schools as independent charitable trusts, freeing them to manage to make the best use of resources, using the best schools as role models |
| improve the status and skill set of teachers, paying professional salaries for the professionals that outstanding teaching demands |
| ensure that schools are led and managed in the most effective ways |
| encourage local businesses to support and sponsor schools |
| introduce a new ethos that makes education both flexible and relevant, equipping pupils to get the best from tomorrow’s opportunities, rather than concentrating on the traditional input based, subject-by-subject approach |
| ensure the curriculum is valuable for the modern world, financial literacy and the use of spreadsheets are, for instance, more useful for most children than algebra and trigonometry |
| encourage a “work ready” approach, giving pupils the skills they need to maximise their employability, trainability and life chances |
| ensure pupils are taught essential life skills ranging from first aid, to administration, to DIY and cooking |
| appreciate the need to embrace the opportunities of artificial intelligence in education and beyond |
| make education fun and engaging at all levels. It is vital to inspire children at an early age, to find ways to pull out their intelligence and skills to ensure that they get the most from school |
| make STEM integral to school life |
| learn from international best practices to foster excellence in educational outcomes |
| adopt a new system of assessing achievement such as the US’s SATs and GPAs to replace A levels and GCSEs concentrating on the “real world” skills that pupils need in the 21st century, removing formal testing at 16 |
| introduce three 13-week terms and one 12-week term. Apart from a week over Christmas and New Year, abolish set school holidays with parents taking children out of school to suit their holiday arrangements |
| lengthen the school day to up to 6pm for primary school children, and later for secondary school pupils |
| encourage competitive sport, music, art, with a full range of “extracurricular” activities integral to the school day |
| ensure school meals are excellent, to include breakfast, lunch and dinner and make them free for all |
| invest far greater resources in early childhood, giving children the best possible start in their first five years |
| ensure every child has a full-time place in a kindergarten from 1 year old, facilitating parents returning to work while also encouraging workplace flexibility concerning childcare |
| make schools knowledge and resource centres for their communities, with superb facilities, open seven days a week. Ensure the facilities are used much more intensively, providing educational opportunities throughout life |
| encourage the making of things, with every pupil producing a Maker Portfolio |
| stimulate vocational education |
| encourage people to pursue teaching as a “second career” so that the benefit of their work/life experience is passed on. Abolish the need for teaching qualifications for mature teachers, focusing on inspiring pupils to achieve and succeed. The idea is “those that can do, and then they teach” |
| abolish all university tuition charges, reintroduce student grants and “wipe clean” existing student debt, which in some cases, can lead to people paying more in "tax” than they take home |
| reduce the number and increase the quality of university courses. Encourage other routes to post-18 qualifications such as a National Construction Corps to give vital skills in building, plumbing and electrical work |
| allow parents who choose to pay for education to offset school fees against education tax |
| never allow education to be disrupted in the way it has been over the pandemic |
| make a British liberal education available worldwide with a free global online school called “Open School”, modelled on the Open University concept |
Investing in education must be central to the government’s philosophy. Education is crucial for ensuring prosperity and opportunity. It is essential for closing the UK’s productivity gap with other nations.
Transforming education offers hope. So many of the problems we face today, whether they be poverty, ill health, crime or even debacles such as Brexit, are down to failures of education.
We must understand that investing more at the front end of life gives far greater returns in individual and national prosperity later, not to mention the significant savings in not paying to address problems caused by educational failure. In short, for every £1 spent on education, much more is generated or saved.
In Britain, we have some of the best schools in the world. With a few exceptions, these are private schools that charge fees far higher than what state schools receive per pupil. This creates significant disparities in resources, facilities, and achievements, with most children lacking vital life chances and our country being poorer because of the lost potential. Considering the funding schools receive, what is achieved is remarkable. Imagine what schools could accomplish if resources were dramatically increased.
Money is not the sole driver of success. Very significant changes are also required to what and how students are taught, together with discipline and better leadership of schools to maximise potential. Our focus must be on understanding how each child is intelligent and then helping them make the best of their skills.
For every citizen, an excellent education is indispensable for a happy, prosperous and fulfilled life. It is essential if we are to make real progress in reversing our nation’s relative decline.