Education for the Real World

At the end of 11 years of state education an unacceptable proportion of 16-year-old school leavers cannot read, write or count to a tolerable standard. Recent government pressure on universities to admit candidates of lower academic ability has triggered a decline in academic standards and educational reform is now essential.

The New Party will give more freedom to schools to select or stream pupils and end grade inflation in our universities We will introduce specialist skills academies for post 14 education and restructure funding to provide further and higher scholarships where they are most needed. We will also establish local "skill exchanges" where people will be able to tap into the skills and experience of the many people who have been made redundant or taken early retirement.