Cameron promises focus on ‘basics’
Shadow Education Secretary David Cameron today promised a renewed focus on basic issues such as discipline, standards and exams as he outlined the Conservatives’ education strategy.
He said parties had in recent years failed to address the main issues in education, focusing instead on structures and choice – in the case of the Conservatives – or resources and spending per pupil, as Labour had done.
What really mattered were much more basic concerns such as whether children were learning to read, write and add, whether classrooms were safe, and whether local schools were giving children the best education possible, Mr Cameron said.
“These are the questions parents ask themselves – the issues we stress about when considering our children’s education. That’s why my focus is going to be simple and straightforward – on the basics.”
Speaking at the Policy Exchange in London, he said the party would focus on the key areas of literacy in primary schools; discipline in secondary schools; and special educational needs.
It would also tackle the “fact” that bright children were being left out and non-academic children were left behind; and a system for testing and examining that was “currently not fit for purpose”.
Mr Cameron said that to improve literacy, phonics should be introduced.
Discipline would be improved by introducing ‘good behaviour’ contracts, giving headteachers complete control over expulsions and changing the whole culture of schools.
On special needs, he attacked the “ideological obsession” with integration and warned about the terms of reference of the recently announced review.
He also called for “bold steps” to be taken on vocational education, for the best students to be separated from their lower achieving peers so they can “soar”, and for a revaluation of A-Level grades to address concerns over their worth.
Mr Cameron also criticised the “learn for yourself” attitude that left children without enough guidance and the”touchy-feely” nature of much modern teaching. There must be something wrong with “a history curriculum that asks students to wonder how a soldier felt, rather than teaches them about the battles he fought”, he added.
