Liberal Democrats launch their Education Alternative

12.47.52pm GMT Wed 15th Feb 2006

Liberal Democrat Education spokesperson Ed Davey MP

The Liberal Democrats launched their alternative to the Government's education plans. The Liberal Democrat reforms focus on individual children not institutions, with pupil choice to motivate young adults, pupil premiums to give schools new incentives and the freedom to teach with curriculum deregulation.

By focusing on structures not standards, Labour is ignoring reforms that could really make a difference. To close the education attainment gap between the haves and have-nots, we need more radical reforms that are based on evidence and proven to work. Liberal Democrat reforms build on best practice here and abroad. They will empower young people through choice, encourage schools with incentives and free teachers to teach. Our reforms are about re-engaging disaffected pupils, paying schools to admit more challenging pupils and freeing teachers to do their job.

The Education achievement gap is worse under Labour than the Conservatives. 77% of 16 yr olds with middle class parents get 5+ good GCSEs compared to 32% of kids "with parents in routine occupations - the gap therefore now stands at 45%, when in 1992 under the Tories, the gap was only 42%. (Source: ONS report Focus on Social Inequalities, Aug 2005)

Over 50% of pupils leave secondary school without 5+ GCSEs including English and Maths. In 2005 only 44% of 15 year olds got at least 5 GCSEs or equivalents including English and Maths.

England has one of the highest post-16 school leaving rates in the developed world. 31% of England's 17 year olds are not in fulltime education or training.

Truancy remains a major problem for Britain's schools. The government has spent £885 million on initiatives to combat truancy since 1997 but unauthorised absences did not decrease and in fact increased in 2005. In 2005 583,859 primary school pupils and 774,347 secondary school pupils played truant at least once.

The evidence says Labour's plan - schools choosing pupils - hits the most disadvantaged:

• Where schools set their own admissions policies, social segregation is worse, meaning the poor lose out the most.

• The Education Bill wants more schools to set their own admissions policies. Ministers now say they will include new safeguards and protections, but it is not clear they go far enough.

• Three recent studies and the Audit Commission back up fears that the disadvantaged will be failed a second time by Blair.

The Liberal Democrat alternative reforms gives schools the incentives and freedoms they need and choice to the people that matter - pupils - to drive up standards for all.

Pupil Premiums in primary and secondary schools:

• Pupil Premiums for disadvantaged and underperforming children - schools to get new financial incentives to admit certain children, like those eligible for Free School Meals or assessed with low attainment at foundation or primary.

• A radical funding reform, based on a Dutch model, to re-direct the existing deprivation funding based on schools in programmes like City Academies and Specialist Schools, towards funding based on individual children, providing real incentives for all schools to admit low-attaining pupils.

Pupil Choice for 14-19 year olds:

• Pupil Choice to re-engage and motivate 14-19 year olds, allowing them to benefit from a wider range of learning opportunities at one or more local schools, colleges or work-based learning providers. Pupils empowered so that funding follows their course choices.

• An independent personal career adviser to help students build a practical timetable, at one or more local schools, colleges or work-based learning providers. All pupils to study Maths, English and ICT at their main school.

• Every pupil from 14 to have funded Learning Entitlements, where a young person's choices of subject and course is funded, whether they learn at their main school, or at a nearby school, college or employer.

• Pupil choice to offer students more options and to drive a focus for low attainers on higher attendance pre-16 and higher staying-on rates post-16.

Freedom to teach:

• Freedom to teach for schools, with a deregulated national curriculum and reduced interference from Whitehall, so schools and teachers can tailor their lessons to the needs of individual classes and pupils

• A national diploma, based on the Tomlinson proposals, where students can study a range of subjects both academic and vocational, recognising that young people should leave education with both knowledge and know-how.

Schools collaborating, not just competing:

• Community Learning Trusts, as a new model for local schools, colleges and employers to collaborate to share best practice and resources and deliver a wider curriculum for pupils.

• Confederations - where local schools and other learning providers "loosely" federate to co-ordinate timetables etc, but keep their own Governing Bodies.

• Learning Networks - where local schools form stronger federations jointly managing budgets, staff and wider services devolved to them from the local authority.

Local Authorities as commissioners:

• Local Authorities as strong commissioners, with greater funding powers over education for pupils up to the age of 19, stripped from Whitehall and the Learning and Skills Councils and passed to the local level.