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Charles Clarke

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  1. I appointed Mr Tomlinson with the view that the status quo is not sustainable. Doing nothing is not an option. Under the current system, many of our young people achieve very high standards, whether in schools, colleges or work-based training, and move on to higher education or employment. But too many drop entirely out of education or training by the age of 17. Some do not have sufficient grasp of the core skills that they need for work and life. Others cannot find a straightforward path to meet their vocational ambitions. Some are simply not stretched enough to enable them to fulfil their own potential... When we published our policy document 14-19: opportunity and excellence at the beginning of last year we concluded that these problems could not be solved simply by short-term measures, important though they are. Longer-term reform is also necessary. We therefore asked the working group to advise on a framework for qualifications that would enable all our young people to achieve their full potential, which would motivate them to stay in learning after the age of 16, and which would also reduce the burden of assessment on students, their teachers and the examinations system. We have got to constantly prepare for the future. That means making sure that children get the grounding in the basics of literacy and numeracy. It means actually strengthening GCSEs and A-levels and making sure in particular that at the top end, A-levels are made more stretching so that we're achieving more excellence throughout the education system. I am determined that any evolution of the system must increase public confidence in it. Therefore my approach will be to build on all that is good in the current system, including the real and great strengths of A-levels and GCSEs. The Tomlinson report rightly confirms their place in the system and seeks to build on them. They would stay as the building blocks of any new system." http://education.guardian.co.uk/1419educat...1330303,00.html
  2. Since 1997 substantial new investment and significant reform have brought education, skills and children's services to the centre of our national life. A powerful alliance now exists for higher standards - embracing parents, our schools, colleges and universities, the voluntary sector, local authorities and employers... Five key principles of reform will underpin our drive for a step change in children's services, education and training: *Greater personalisation and choice, with children, parents and learners centre-stage; * Opening up services to new and different providers; * Freedom and independence for frontline headteachers and managers with more secure streamlined funding arrangements; * A major commitment to staff development with high quality support and training * Partnerships with parents, employers, local authorities and voluntary organisations to maximise the life chances of children, young people and adults. Mr Speaker, our five year strategy is ambitious for children and learners at every stage of life. In the early years: * all parents will be able to get one-stop support through Children's Centres providing a combination of childcare, education, health and advice services * a flexible system of 'educare', joining up education and childcare to provide twelve and a half hours free support a week for 3 and 4 year-olds (before they start school), with more choice for parents about when they use it * Local Authorities playing a major new role through Children's Trusts in joining up all local services for families and children In primary schools: * we will continue to drive up standards in reading, writing, numeracy and science, but also * enrich the school curriculum and give every child the chance to learn a foreign language and take part in music and competitive sport * develop more dawn-to-dusk schools offering childcare and after school activities to help children and busy parents. These extended schools will combine with early years and family learning providers to provide a genuine educational centre to every local community In secondary education, we will build on the achievements of the last seven years, to increase freedoms and independence; to accelerate the pace of reform in teaching and learning; and to extend choice and flexibility in the curriculum. Driving our reform will be a system of independent specialist schools - not a new category of school, but more independence for all schools. Independence will be within a framework of fair admissions, full accountability and strong partnership. Mr Speaker, we will never return to a system based on selection of the few and rejection of the many - the strict national requirement for fair admissions will remain, and we will not allow any extension of selection by ability. We will put in place eight key reforms: 1. Real freedom for schools will only come with secure and predictable funding in the hands of headteachers. Every penny meant for schools must get to them. So we will introduce guaranteed three-year budgets for every school from 2006, geared to pupil numbers, with a minimum per pupil increase for every school each year. This dedicated Schools Budget will be guaranteed by national Government and delivered through Local Authorities. We will consult in the Autumn on the practical arrangements and on ensuring there are no adverse effects for other local government services. 2. We expect all secondary schools to become specialist schools with a centre of excellence. They will now be able to take on a second specialism. High-performing specialist schools will be able to become training schools or leaders of partnerships. 3. Every school will have a fast-tracked opportunity to move to Foundation status, giving them freedom to own their land and buildings, manage their assets, employ their staff, improve their governing bodies, and forge partnerships with outside sponsors. 4. More places in popular schools. There is no 'surplus places rule'. We already enable popular and successful schools to expand, and have a special capital budget for this. Now, we will speed up and simplify the means to do this. There will be more competitions for new schools, which will enable parents' groups and others to open up schools. 5. A 'new relationship with schools' to cut red tape without abandoning our ambitious targets for school improvement or intervention in failing schools. We will halve the existing inspection burden on schools, with sharper short-notice inspection. And schools will have a single annual review carried out by a 'school improvement partner' - typically a serving headteacher from a successful school. 6. In areas where the education service has, sometimes for generations, failed pupils and parents, we will provide for 200 independently managed academies to be open or in the pipeline by 2010. Around 60 of these new academies will be in London. 7. Through the 'Building Schools for the Future' programme, and a sevenfold increase in the capital budget for schools since 1997, we will refurbish or rebuild every secondary school to 21st century standards over the next ten to fifteen years. 8. 'Foundation partnerships' will enable schools to group together to raise standards and take on wider responsibilities - such as special educational needs or hard-to-place pupils. Local Authorities will play a key part as champions of pupils and parents, setting a strategic vision for services in their area, encouraging and enabling strong partnerships of schools, holding schools to account, and intervening where standards are at risk. Within each school, every pupil should have the personalised teaching they need to succeed, backed by excellent training for teachers; a broad and rich curriculum; and more sport, clubs, societies and trips. We will continue to crack down on truancy and poor behaviour wherever it occurs, giving new powers to schools and Local Authorities. From 14 onwards: * a much wider choice of subjects, with better vocational options delivered in close collaboration with employers, and the opportunity to start an Apprenticeship at 14 * more choice after 16, with high-performing specialist schools opening more sixth forms where there aren't enough * a new framework for the curriculum and qualifications following the Tomlinson Review * A Green Paper in the Autumn, on bringing together activities and services for young people For adults developing their skills: * free tuition for basic skills and for those going on to Level 2 qualifications (equivalent to 5 good GCSEs) * a leading role for employers through Sector Skills Councils and a reformed further education sector, rewarding success and closing weak courses and colleges For those going on to university: * grants for students that need them, an end to up-front fees and a fair system for graduates to contribute to the cost of their course * Foundation Degrees in vocational subjects, designed with and for employers * world-class research to maintain our leading edge, particularly in science and technology. This ambitious programme of reform is backed by the further investment announced by the Chancellor in April. Spending on education will rise by over £11bn, to £58bn by 2008 and - through the Efficiency Review and the 30% reduction in the Department's staff - be more than ever focused on front-line services. Mr Speaker, the dividing lines for the future of children and schools are clear. Whether we select a few, or raise standards for all. Whether there is no role for Local Authorities, or a new role for Local Authorities. Whether we take funding out of public services, or put it in. Whether there is freedom for all, or a free-for-all. Whether some children matter, or whether every child matters. On this side of the House, Mr Speaker, we have made our decision - for excellence, for opportunity, for choice - but importantly, for all. http://politics.guardian.co.uk/publicservi...1256881,00.html
  3. While history had seen a 21% improvement (proportion of lessons judged very good or excellent for 11-14 year olds by Ofsted) the increase in the case of design and technology was 8%. At the moment 81% of PE lessons were rated very good or excellent, compared with only 59% of those in modern foreign languages. Overall, the system is quite unreliable if you are a pupil or a parent. It's not quite hit and miss, but it's almost hit and miss whether your classroom teacher is working rigorously and systematically to improve the classroom experience for every child. We are making progress and everyone in the profession should give themselves a small pat on the back. But this is happening in rather a varied way - and we need a more systematic approach. Passage from the speech made to the General Teaching Conference for England (10th March, 2004)
  4. Today the government will introduce a bill to reform higher education. Before we do so, I wish to make a statement about the related matter of student support. Change in higher education is necessary because: · The barriers to access to university need to be lowered. The measures I'm announcing today mean that disadvantaged students will get financial support to study what they want where they want. · Universities need more investment. Vice-chancellors will tell you that these proposals generate hundreds of millions of pounds new money for them to spend on improving the quality of teaching and compete with the best universities in the world. · We need to move towards treating students as financially independent from the age of 18 I believe that there is a broad consensus that universities need more resources and that it is reasonable for students to make some contribution, after they have graduated, to those resources. Where there has not been consensus is about the fairest way to raise this new funding, so that access from the poorest communities is promoted and not undermined. The government has listened carefully to the concerns which have been raised and has discussed this matter widely. These concerns very much inform the proposals I make today. Our original proposals were set out in the white paper I presented to the house on January 22 last year. · We will remove up-front fees for full-time undergraduates, so that higher education is free at the point of entry. · We will provide loans with a zero real rate of interest, paid back through the tax system at a rate dependent upon earnings, beginning at a threshold of £15,000 per year rather than the current £10,000. · We will introduce the new higher education grant from September this year. · We will establish the new Office for Fair Access, to ensure universities support students from the poorest backgrounds. The focus of OFFA's work will be those universities with the poorest track record in widening participation. No university will be able to put up its fee without OFFA's agreement. OFFA will not concern itself with admissions. · Universities will be able to set fees from £0 to £3,000. We will maintain the £3,000 cap in real terms, through the next parliament. Today I add the following commitments to meet concerns which have been expressed by some colleagues. First on variable fees, I accept that some colleagues have genuine concerns about their impact upon our university system. Therefore the government will establish an independent review, working with OFFA, to report to this house, based upon the first three years of their operation. Moreover our legislation will require that any proposal to raise the fee cap in real terms is subject to affirmative resolution. There will be the opportunity for a debate on the floor of both houses so that every member can vote upon such a proposal, dependent on discussions through the usual channels. However I have to make clear that we do not agree that a substantially higher fixed fee would be the way to raise additional resources. It would be deeply damaging. We would be denying universities the freedom to incentivise industrial, vocational, scientific, technical, engineering and sandwich courses, or foundation degrees, which are vital for the economic future of this country. Second I want to emphasise the government's strong commitment to promoting access to higher education by part-time and mature students. We will provide from September 2004 improved fee support and a grant for part time students. I welcome the changes recently announced by HEFCE to support part-time and foundation degree courses. My right honourable friend the minister for higher education and the Funding Council will consult on how the funding system might further support the development of part time study in higher education. Third, for full-time undergraduates entering higher education from 2006 we will write off any student loan repayment which is still outstanding after 25 years. On average, we expect graduates to repay their loans in 13 years, but those who have taken on family responsibilities or are on low incomes could need more time. This does give rise to real concerns and I think that a 25 year limit is fair. Fourth, from September 2006 maintenance loans will be raised to the median level of students' basic living costs, as reported by the Student Income and Expenditure Survey. This increase will be modest for most students, but it will be significant for those studying away from home in London. This principle will ensure that students have enough money to meet their basic living costs. I should emphasise that this student loan is free of real interest. Repayments will be based upon money earned not money owed. It is much better for students to be able to borrow on these terms than at commercial rates. Over time, though this cannot be afforded at this stage, the government's aspiration is to move to a position where the loan is no-longer means tested and is available in full to all full time undergraduates, so that students will be treated as financially independent from the age of 18. My fifth and final intention, Mr Speaker, is to ensure that every student from a poor economic background has enough resources to meet even the highest course fee without incurring additional debt. This £3,000 package is achieved by maintaining fee remission at around £1,200; by raising the new Higher Education grant from the £1,000 which I originally proposed to £1,500 a year for new students from 2006; and by, through OFFA, requiring universities to offer bursaries to students from the poorest backgrounds, so that the full fee cost of the course will be covered, which means, for example, a minimum bursary of £300 for a course whose fee is £3,000. The effect of this commitment is that no student from a poor background will be worse off as a result of our proposals, whichever university they attend and whatever the fee charged for the course. Moreover, this commitment will align the level of the HE grant with that of the education maintenance allowance for 16-18 year olds. Around 30% of students will receive a full grant and a further 10% a partial grant. A major advantage of this approach is that those modern universities which have strong records in recruiting students from poorer backgrounds, will be able to use at least 90% of any increased income from fees to improve course quality, rather than the about 70% which was implied in some earlier discussions. These universities have made, and are making, a first-class contribution to this country's higher education and economy and I want to encourage, and not discourage, that commitment.
  5. About the e-Learning Strategy Unit The e-Learning Strategy Unit's overriding objective is to achieve coherence in Government ICT initiatives which support learning and teaching and in working with our external partners. The Unit is responsible for cross cutting issues across all sectors of learning from pre-school, through school, FE and University to community-based lifelong learning. Issues concerning the digital divide, access to the internet, and community-based e-learning initiatives are core strands of the unit's work. The Unit carries out a wide range of functions, including: Identifying issues and recommendations on e-learning matters; Providing support to Ministerial and groups of senior officials responsible for delivering the e-Learning Strategy; Hosting the ICT Industry Club - a forum for discussion of educational ICT issues between this Department, other departments, external partners and organisations; If you would like to find out more about the Unit send an e-mail to e.learning@dfes.gsi.gov.uk What is e-Learning? If someone is learning in a way that uses information and communication technologies (ICTs), they are doing e-learning. They could be a pre-school child playing an interactive game; they could be a group of pupils collaborating on a history project with pupils in another country via the Internet; they could be geography students watching an animated diagram of a volcanic eruption their lecturer has just downloaded; they could be a nurse taking her driving theory test online with a reading aid to help her dyslexia - it all counts as e-learning. Why is it important? E-learning is already around us in schools, colleges, universities, community centres, in the workplace, and of course in the home. It's important because people are finding that e-learning can make a significant difference: to how quickly they master a skill; how easy it is to study; and, of course, how much they enjoy learning. It's important because it can contribute to all the Government's objectives for education - to raising standards; improving quality; removing barriers to learning and participation in learning, preparing for employment; upskilling in the workplace; and ultimately, ensuring that every learner achieves their full potential. Why we need a unified e-Learning strategy? Although there is a lot of e-learning going on already (and the UK is doing relatively well here, in international terms) it is not the kind of development that individuals or institutions can progress on their own. Just as there is no point in being the only person with a mobile phone, you cannot achieve the real potential of e-learning until everyone is using it. Only then can teachers share digital diagrams, or students link into their college website from their work placement, or pupils practise a foreign language through Internet twinning with schools overseas. All these benefits are possible with e-learning, and are already happening. But they are not commonplace. E-learning is not embedded in our teaching and learning, at any level. The time has come to recognise the benefits that these technologies can bring to the way we teach and learn. It is not enough now to have pockets of brilliant innovation here and there. All learners, at all ages and stages, can benefit from mixing these new technologies with their other forms of study. Government has a responsibility to ensure that the benefits are universal. It also has a role in facilitating change, and tackling those areas where public services need to present a united front to the lifelong learner. The Vision Imagine what our education system could do, fuelled by e-learning: Empower learners - With more active learning, people of all ages could take responsibility for what and how they learn, achieving their personal goals as self-directed lifelong learners Be creative and innovative - Teaching could be more creative and innovative, in preparation for the 21st- century global knowledge society Offer flexibility - A more responsive education system would adapt to the needs of all learners, wherever and however they need to learn Achieve better value - Education leaders could develop innovative ways of deploying their resources, exploiting e-learning alongside other teaching methods, to improve quality and economies of scale Generate a professional workforce and fulfilled citizens - A community and a workforce for the knowledge society would have a high proportion of people capable of continually updating their knowledge and skills, of managing knowledge transfer, and contributing to practitioner knowledge in all its forms Main Points of the Strategy Consultation The main points of the strategy consultation document are a set of proposals for how education leaders, teachers, learners and commercial suppliers might contribute to the process of change. The strategy considers: For education leaders - how they might turn a traditional educational institution, whether school, college, or university, into one that blends the best of old and new For teachers - what it would mean for their professional role to mix e-learning with more traditional methods, enabling them to offer more active and creative ways of learning in all subjects, disciplines and skills For learners - how we make sure that their personal learning needs are met, and that the way they are assessed keeps pace with these new kinds of learning For the commercial suppliers of ICT systems, software publishers and service providers - how they might support these new approaches that should, after all, give them graduates from the education system with highly employable skills Embedding e-learning will not happen fast. This is a long-term strategy that looks ahead to years when the technology will probably have evolved further. That is all part of the strategy - how we prepare ourselves, through our education system, to cope with an ever-changing world. Most importantly, this is a unified e-learning strategy for the whole of England. There are e-learning strategies being developed at every level - in the four countries of the UK, in local authorities, institutions, agencies, and departments, as well as in private sector organisations. E-learning does not recognise these physical boundaries. Coming together to consider how best to blend e-learning with our existing systems will benefit all partners. The consultation process runs for several months, until 30 January 2004, to allow all members of the education and training professions, learners, and suppliers to engage in the debate to the full. We have learned a lot from the experience that is now widespread in all sectors of education and training, both institutional and voluntary. There is enthusiasm, understanding and expertise in place to build on. We are well placed to make the next step change to a system-wide approach to embedding e-learning in way that will benefit all learners and teachers. How You Can Get Involved This strategy will involve a wide range of people from Head Teachers, College Principals and Vice Chancellors through teachers and lecturers to individual learners and would-be learners. Employers will be interested in how e-learning can improve the skills of their workforce, and the ICT industry has a close interest in the state of the digital learning resources market. Trade Unions will be involved through their Union Learning Representatives. In short, there are few people in this country who will be unaffected by the proposals in this document. We are therefore keen to hear all your views on the strategy and on what you see as the priorities. We would like to hear from you by 30 January 2004. We will consider all replies that reach us by the deadline - individuals' views are as important to us as those of organisations and institutions.
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