Tristram Hunt has to tell us a new story on education reform

There is no space for hubris in the coalition’s rhetoric on the education system. Just as the coalition have attacked Labour for economic irresponsibility (despite having backed Labour spending plans for the majority of the last three parliaments), so too have they made a conscious effort to paint Labour as the party that oversaw educational malaise, in contrast to their own reforms, grandly heralded by Matthew Hancock before the reshuffle as ‘potentially the most profound and far-reaching since the 1944 Education Act’. Michael Gove himself claimed a moral purpose: to raise standards, clear up Labour’s mess, and ensure your child succeeds. Nicky Morgan will do the same, all be it with a reworking of the approach that ultimately cost Gove his job.

But this is all rather disingenuous – and Morgan would benefit from a recent history lesson before she gets too settled. Think back to the education system inherited by the incoming Blair government in 1997: children being taught in Portakabins and a paltry 45 per cent of pupils gaining five good GCSEs. Research published just last week has shown the impetus for the dramatic improvement in London school standards was down to four interventions started and championed by the last Labour administration, while other analysis confirms that educational inequality was reduced. We should not be complacent about how much there is to do, but our record of educational change in government is one to be proud of and one that the shadow education team should be talking more about.

But it is also time to start telling a new story on educational excellence. A truly excellent educational system is one that enables students to progress into high-quality, high-skilled employment without too many unnecessary hurdles being placed in the way, not one that fetishises academic achievement at the expense of everything else. Ed Miliband has led the way in pushing this up the agenda, with his ‘other 50 per cent’ party conference speech sparking competition between the parties as to who was doing more for this group.

These welcome words must be matched with actions. A significant problem in the current system is that the route to higher-skilled jobs is currently like a roller coaster with gaps missing in the tracks – pretty scary. Schools and colleges are not yet networked enough with employers to ensure co-designed curriculums, quality work experience and routes to apprenticeships. Moreover, coalition cuts to information, advice and guidance services leave many parents wondering how their children will ever navigate to the right job.

Tristram Hunt should continue to call Morgan out on the coalition’s failure to stop the deterioration of this situation – the CBI have described careers advice and guidance as being ‘on life support’; the number of work experience placements is down; and many those without adequate networks into work remain stuck. He should also commit to tackling some of the root causes of these problems. While we welcome the findings of IPPR’s recent Condition of Britain report, which made recommendations on training conditionality for young people, it is important to note that the focus here on 18 to 21 is too late; investment earlier in young people’s lives must be prioritised.

To give our citizens the chance to succeed it is also vital that we raise our aspirations. If we want to be able to compete in the new global economy we need to give all of our citizens the opportunity to reach A Level standard. Whatever their age, everyone should have an entitlement to education and training up to this level. Sadly, the government are moving the other way, consulting at the moment on introducing loans for 19 to 23-year-olds study at levels 2 and 3. How can it be right that 16-year-olds receive GCSE and A Level education for free, while their peers who are just a few years older will be saddled with large amounts of debt? It is completely wrong-headed to put further hurdles in the way of citizens who have missed out on educational success first time round.

So, it is time to be bold by reclaiming the language of excellence and aspiration, being proud of our record on education in government, and reprioritising spending to ensure that the education system provides what is needed to help citizens succeed in the new global economy.

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Jamie Audsley is a Labour councillor and works at Pearson UK to improve the transition from school to work. Joel Mullan works in strategy for an education charity. Jim O’Connell is a philosophy teacher at a London sixth form

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Photo: Wellington College