The report on the Commons debate on education funding highlighted a point that could be very useful for the Labour party in the next election (Morning Star, 04/03/19). Mary Bousted of the NEU hit the nail on the head when she said that no-one involved in school education and no parents were either "impressed or fooled by the mantra of Theresa May`s front-bench that there is no crisis" in state education. Of course, there is, everyone knows it, but, despite the noble efforts of Angela Rayner, Labour is not capitalising on it, sufficiently. A change in priorities is required! The media are clearly not interested in lifelong learning, but a few speeches from Corbyn and McDonnell on how Labour would
deal with schools` problems might actually get some publicity.
This has to be electorally sensible; a large proportion of voters have either recently left schools themselves, and seen first-hand how austerity cuts affected their prospects, or are intending or actual parents. A Labour government`s education department would be very busy, with not only the effects of Tory cuts having to be dealt with, but those of Gove`s mishandling of school assessment as well. Then there is the problem of social mobility and the way private schools are playing the exam system by their pupils taking IGCSE and Pre-U exams instead of the newly-reformed and more rigorous GCSE and A-levels.
So much to do, and so much depending on how the electorate see Labour`s education policies. Ending the crises in state schools has to be number ! priority!
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