Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Education - by Tory Blair

"Schools opting out of LEA control is paralysing the sensible planning of school provision, wasting money and undermining education opportunities for a great many young people" said Jack Straw in 1989. Therefore, when Blair first came to power in 1997 one of his first actions was to abolish grant maintained schools in defiance of parents who had voted to allow them to opt out of LEA control.

A core Labour principle has long been that selection in education is wrong and that comprehensive eduation is the fairest system.

Core Conservative principles beleive that education by selection is right as it encourages everyone to excel in what they are good at and we beleive that schools achieve higher standards if they are freed from LEA financial control.

Now, 8 years after destroying any form of independence in the state education system, Blair has said that he wants every state school to quickly become a self-governing independent school, and promised 'more power and choice for parents.'

In Parliament, the Conservatives cheered as Ruth Kelly announced the plans, whilst the Labour benches were silent. The Conservatives have said we will do all we can to help the government implement these plans. Well we would - these plans are straight out of the Conservative manifesto.

So thank you Tory Blair for seeing sense at last, even if it is after 8 wasted years where every school, every teacher, every parent and every pupil has suffered.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I find an increasingly easy way to win a debate with a Labour supporter is to say two words:- "Ruth Kelly".

Before this week, Ruth Kelly's main concern was school dinners, while she let the education system fall down around her. I was wondering when she would learn that she is the education secretary and not the school dinner's secretary.

Now she is lifting words directly from the Conservatives. Well, perhaps she is at last seeing sense. Or perhaps she has just realised that it is the Conservatives who have the right ideas.

-- Mike Roberts