Commenting on the landslide win by Labour, Daniel Kebede,
General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
‘The NEU congratulates the Labour Party on its election victory.
We are looking forward to working with the new Government.
‘After 14 years of neglect of education, it is plain
for all to see the damage that underinvestment in
education has done to the life chances of our children and
young people. We want to work with Labour to break down the
barriers to opportunity.
‘After the chaos and disrespect that a succession of
Conservatives ministers has shown the profession, Labour's
comments about wanting to reset the relationship between
Ministers and education professionals will be music to our
members ears.
‘The new Government does not have an easy inheritance and we are
realistic that Labour won't be able to overturn 14 years of
damage overnight. But, at the same time, we know that Labour
will need to inject significantly more funding into
education than it promised if it is to
match the level of ambition needed to achieve a truly outstanding
system.
‘70% of schools are now worse off than they were the last time
Labour were in office. As a country, we now spend a
paltry 3.9% of GDP on education as opposed to 5.5% in
2010. As a result, many schools are literally
falling down and there are more than a
million pupils being taught in
classes of 30 or more, the highest
figure since 2001. Our young people are paying the
price
for an unprecedented teacher recruitment
and retention crisis – driven by excessive workload and
real terms decline in wages – that risks
bringing education to its knees.
‘The voices of education professionals must be central to
Labour's promised reviews of assessment, accountability and
curriculum. The current regime is a hindrance to teaching
and learning. A modernised curriculum should also guarantee
access to the arts for all, delivered by expert teachers.
‘Breaking down barriers to opportunity must start with the
understanding that poverty is still the biggest obstacle to
learning and achievement. More than four million
children in our schools now live below the poverty line. We
welcome Labour's commitment to breakfast clubs but it should
also follow the example of Labour Mayor of London and the
Labour Government in Wales and introduce universal free school
meals across primary schools. Scrapping the
two-child benefit cap would lift a quarter of a million
children out of poverty at a stroke and should be a priority for
the new Government.
‘The NEU stands ready to work with Labour to ensure
that we have the policies and funding in place to give every
child the education they deserve”.
