Graham Stuart, MP for Beverley and Holderness welcomed today’s introduction of the Education Bill which aims to raise standards in education, improve international competitiveness, give greater freedoms and protection to teachers and provide free nursery education to disadvantaged two year olds.
Graham said: “I support much of what is in the bill. It gives greater powers to teachers and heads, provides them with additional protection from malicious complaints and allows local parents, teachers and communities more say in how education is delivered.
“The bill should also help transform the quality of careers advice and education in schools and colleges by ensuring schools have to bring in outside expertise with a real understanding of the full range of opportunities for young people including apprenticeships and other practical and vocational education.
“The Select Committee will publish a report on Behaviour and Discipline next week which may call into question some of the proposals in this area. The Government should take note of the report and review measures in the bill if that proves appropriate.
“The bill covers a wide range of issues and will deserve great parliamentary scrutiny so as to minimise the unforeseen consequences of the measures in it. I hope Ministers will be open to argument and to amendments so that the bill can be improved from a promising start.
“The gap between rich and poor and state and independent schools has grown wider over the last decade. This legislation must be shaped so that it begins to deliver the real improvement which everyone craves but which has proved so elusive to achieve. It’s time for the scrutiny to begin.”
