Education is, arguably, one of the most important aspects of society. It gives our children a chance to excel. It gives them the opportunity to improve their chances in life. Importantly, it gives them the opportunity to have a successful future. The Conservative Party has always had a good record when it comes to education - whether we look at Michael Gove’s reforms, Justine Greening’s cash boosts or Damian Hinds’ introduction of T Levels - as a party, these things just show that we always give children the best chances.
As a pupil myself who is in a state secondary school run by the Welsh Labour and Lib Dem government, I can clearly see how broken the system is. The curriculum in Wales does not provide pupils with skills that they can use in their daily lives, and it does not cater for people who don’t want to go to university. From my own experience, it feels like my school is only focused on the university route, on those who want to become doctors or lawyers. This is not fair, and it must change.
We need an education system that works for all pupils, of all abilities, and with any career path in mind. We must put the money into classrooms and empower teachers to do their job in the way that will actually benefit their classes. The curriculum must give us the crucial life skills that we will need when we go off to university, get a job, or just to see us through the day to day problems that we aren’t taught how to deal with. Schools must prioritise all children, not just the academics.
The education policy of the Conservatives - whether it’s for Westminster, the Welsh Assembly or Scottish Parliament - should be to make big and bold changes to the system, employing retired bricklayers, plumbers and builders to help the pupils who aren’t as academically inclined as others. We need to teach crucial life skills lessons, and provide thorough, unbiased teachings of politics, business and economics. Create a safe, clean environment in the classrooms and end the left-wing bias in schools.
It’s not just secondary schools that see issues- so maybe we must also turn our attention elsewhere and see how changes could help. For example, we must also be helping to end student debt. We all pay national insurance so that we can use the NHS for free. Why not have the same system for university? If all students payed a tax during and for three years after graduating, student fees can be abolished and we can help generations stay out of debt.
For education, the time for change is now. If we are to win the votes of young people, teachers and more parents, we must present a credible plan for education which is ultimately the key to giving our children a brighter, fairer and more prosperous future.
Owen Edwards
