Labour comments on education levelling-up announcement

Tuesday, 1 February 2022 00:01

Bridget Phillipson MP, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, said: “The government is desperately trying to distract from the utter chaos at the heart of Downing Street by recycling old announcements which shows the limits of the Conservatives’ ambition for Britain. “Under the Conservatives forty per cent of young people are leaving education without the qualifications they need to prosper, while rehashed ‘investment areas’ would not be needed if...Request free trial

Bridget Phillipson MP, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, said:

“The government is desperately trying to distract from the utter chaos at the heart of Downing Street by recycling old announcements which shows the limits of the Conservatives’ ambition for Britain.

“Under the Conservatives forty per cent of young people are leaving education without the qualifications they need to prosper, while rehashed ‘investment areas’ would not be needed if Ministers had only given our communities the respect they deserve for the last 11 years.

“Labour has set out plans to ensure that every young person leaves education ready for work and ready for life with the skills they need to secure good jobs in every part of this country, meaning no young person has to get out to get on. Supported by over 6,500 new teachers and with a professional careers advisor available for every school, Labour’s National Excellence Programme would help set every young person on the path to success.”

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The government is recycling it’s ‘Opportunity Areas’ originally announced in 2017 and which are failing to deliver the changes young people need: Education committee ‘unconvinced’ by £72m opportunity areas programme (Schools Week)

The National Funding Formula for schools is providing less funding to schools serving the most deprived communities: Government education funding puts levelling-up into reverse, IFS claims

In 2019/20 39.8% of 19-year-olds leaving education had not achieved level 3 qualifications (2 or more A-Levels, BTEC, T-Level or equivalent apprenticeship). This has flatlined for eight years under the Conservatives following an upwards trend under the last Labour government: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/97046711-f54d-49b0-8fed-f6ea3c8b4de0

Labour would make sure every child leaves school job-ready and life-ready: https://labour.org.uk/press/labour-would-make-sure-every-child-leaves-school-job-ready-and-life-ready/

Starmer pledges to launch an education “National Excellence Programme”: https://labour.org.uk/press/starmer-pledges-to-launch-an-education-national-excellence-programme/