In the public’s eye, education has been one of the Government’s big success stories: substantial increases in investment in staffing, buildings and information technology; the class size pledge almost fulfilled; for the first time in a generation, help targeted at inner-city schools; the striking impact of the literacy and numeracy initiatives in primary schools. And a new Chief Inspector who, in his latest report, praises rising standards of teaching and pupil achievement. As he puts it: ‘These significant improvements… have been achieved through the hard work and dedication of head teachers and teachers supported by LEAs… there is much, therefore, to celebrate…’
Pretty unequivocal, and yet teachers appear less convinced of their own success and the public’s appreciation of it. Given rising expectations of education, greater government intervention and teacher supply problems, this is perhaps not surprising.
But it is not good for the long-term health of the system. So, first and foremost, the next Labour Government should put teacher morale at the top of its list. The solutions? Higher pay, some of which is already on the way; trying to limit paperwork to the essentials; more time. And better help with disruptive and challenging pupils. All of these will assist, but the profession must also take some responsibility too. It has a great deal to be proud of and should be less defensive about its own pivotal contribution.
Second, secondary schools. I represent an inner city constituency where the challenge faced by teachers is the hardest imaginable. What they need is proper recognition of their achievements – roll on added value measures of school performance – and more practical help. The Government has begun to provide this through the Excellence in Cities programme and additional funding for staffing, but we need to build on this if we are to support schools in raising aspirations further. And the sooner we can introduce a national system of educational maintenance allowances – to help 16 year-olds from low income stay on in education – the better.
There is still work to be done to ensure that every school has high ambition for all its children and the means to deliver it. So when we talk about trying different ways of schools working, these must be rooted in our having ambition for all. That way, flexibility and diversity can be seen as encouraging this objective rather than as returning to old hierarchical divisions. At the same time, they can help give schools the ability to take more decisions for themselves. Government will need to learn to let go of some of the means, while maintaining accountability for pupil achievement.
Being clear about this would also help cut through the confusion that surrounds the issue of selection. The huge improvement in the proportion of pupils gaining five good GCSEs over the past 20 years is a testament to the success of comprehensive reform. It is noticeable that 93 percent of specialist schools do not use the freedom they have to select ten percent of their intake by aptitude. Selection limits ambition and there is absolutely nothing to be gained by a return to it. And where selection still exists, parents should have a real choice about changing it. At present the grammar school ballot threshold is impossibly high.
Finally, let’s make sure that our desire to quantify outcomes does not mean that we only concentrate on the things we can easily measure. Local employers tell me that as well as literate and numerate young people, they also want youngsters with curiosity, creativity, imagination and flexibility. These qualities need nurturing.
Labour’s second term – the electorate permitting – should be built again on ‘education, education, education’. If we are interested in change for the long term, we need a generation of sustained investment – cash and ideas – in a world where learning is now more important than ever. By putting education at the heart of government, we have the chance to do even better in future.