QUEEN’S SPEECH

6 November 2007

Commenting on the education sections and their briefings in the Queen’s speech Steve Sinnott General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, Europe’s largest teaching union said:

“The Government is right to raise the leaving age to 18. Sixteen year olds cannot afford to be outside education or employment. If they do, they face dead end lives.

“Strategically however the Government has to be very careful that any sanctions do not backfire and lead to the ghettoisation of those young people who will be the hardest to reach. 

“The reforms also have to be thoroughly prepared for and funded. A repeat of the botched introduction of the school leaving age in the 1970’s is not an option.

“I urge the Prime Minister not to lose the opportunity this Bill represents. It could be expanded to rid the education service of some of the worst mistakes of recent legislation as well as introducing new ideas.

“There are many ways the Brown Government committed to a social agenda could draw a line under the mistaken marketisation policies of the previous Government.

“The Bill could repair our split and divided education system by bringing Academies back into the local authority family of schools.

“I welcome Gordon Brown’s intention to renew efforts to achieve the Millennium goals. Achieving an entitlement for all young people to high quality education is both a global and national aim.

“The Children and Young Persons Bill redresses a long standing injustice. Education for children in care has always been a poor relation. Now is the chance for our most vulnerable young people to get the education provision they need and deserve”.