Conservatives promise more family focus and parent power

The manifesto sets out that all schools will be able to have ‘academy status’ along with the commitment that all pupils will be able to read by the age of six. Raising the standard of teaching was also targeted, with the new expectation that entrants should have at least a second class honours degree. SATs tests and league tables will be retained and state secondary schools will be able to teach international GCSEs currently available at independent schools.

Inviting voters to “be your own boss”, Conservatives have promised to become more family focussed.

The flagship policy of “free schools” was also emphasised, enabling parents apply to set up their own schools using Government money.

Chris Keates, leader of the NASUTWT teachers’ union, described the proposals as “seductive but deceptive”, rejecting the idea that free schools would give more power to parents and accusing the plan of throwing state schools to the mercy of the free market to gamble with, and profit from, tax payers’ money:

"When the private and voluntary sectors and the pushy and the privileged have had their fill, they will walk away leaving segregated communities, social division, inequality and thousands of children and young people whose life chances have been sacrificed."

The manifesto does not however reference earlier claims by the Conservatives to create more school places despite heavy criticism that are were currently 793,000 empty school places. (www.tom-brown.com/articles/793000-empty-school-places-yet-conservatives-propo/)

Labour has argued that such notions were dropped because of lack of funding, which Conservatives claim such figures were a ‘floor and not a target’.

Coming soon... Tom-Brown.com takes a look at how the 2010 party manifestos could affect your child's education