The Sunday Times reports that Michael Gove aims to abolish coursework for almost all GCSEs and A-levels. Claiming that Government attempts to restore confidence in continuous assessment had failed, Mr Gove believes that "the rise of the internet has led to increasing problems of plagiarism and there have been accusations that teachers provide too much […]
Responding to attacks from his opposite number John Denham, the Conservative Party’s Universities spokesman David Willetts has used an article in The Guardian to make it clear that a Tory government is committed to increasing university numbers. Mr Willetts says university expansion is essential for Britain to remain internationally competitive and to kickstart social mobility. […]
The Conservatives are planning a manufacturing summit later this year, aimed at policy solutions for helping British industry. Today’s Telegraph reports that an overhaul of tuition fees is being considered, aimed at encouraging higher numbers to study engineers and science degrees. The Shadow Business and Enterprise Secretary Alan Duncan is quoted as saying: "It seemed […]
Dylan Jones’ new book Cameron on Cameron is a series of interviews with the Conservative leader. Previous ToryDiaries focused on highlights discussing the economy and taxation, other politicians and foreign policy. Below are some highlights of Cameron’s responses relating to public services and the environment. Grammar schools: "Grammar schools are good schools. There are 164 […]
Two Conservative MPs, John Bercow and Robert Key, have joined with Labour and Liberal Democrats MPs in calling for "appropriate sex and relationship education in every primary and secondary school by putting personal, social and health education on a statutory basis as part of the national curriculum." The MPs’ letter to The Telegraph highlights: The […]
The main story in The Sunday Telegraph focuses on calls by "Leading Tories" to end Labour’s "overtaxing, overborrowing and overspending". Lord Forsyth, John Redwood and CentreRight’s Simon Chapman are all quoted. We have long argued that George Osborne was wrong to match Labour’s overspending but public expenditure is only one ingredient of economic policy. What […]
CCHQ has just released Shadow Children’s Secretary Michael Gove’s reaction to this year’s A-level results: “These results reflect the hard work of students and teachers. The individual achievements of the thousands who have done so well should be celebrated. We wish all those that have applied for university the best of luck with finding a […]
We’ve discussed Michael Gove’s remarks about Nuts and Zoo but there’s much more to this morning’s speech to the IPPR. It’s an explanation of David Cameron’s Conservatism that sees the quality of relationships as essential to progress in education and the relief of poverty. It’s a statement of the superiority of people-sized institutions – like […]
In a wide-ranging and thoughtful speech later today, Michael Gove will cover schooling, the family, inequality and the "hedonism" of lads’ magazines like Zoo and Nuts: "I believe we need to ask tough questions about the instant-hit hedonism celebrated by the modern men’s magazines targeted at younger males. Titles such as Nuts and Zoo paint […]
In what David Willetts called "the most important announcement Conservatives have made on skills in a decade", David Cameron launched Building Skills, Transforming Lives: A training and apprenticeships revolution at the Ideas Space venue today. John Hayes, Shadow Minister for Vocational Education, told the meeting that: "by boosting funding to apprenticeships, paying employers directly, and […]
David Cameron will announce a Skills Green Paper tomorrow morning that pledges to spend £750m on creating 100,000 apprenticeships. The proposals, formulated by MPs David Willetts and John Hayes, will be aimed at over 18s and will include offering £2,000 bonuses to employers who train up apprentices and will also ensure that there is a […]
CCHQ has just announced that "former Imperial College Rector Sir Richard Sykes to lead a commission into the future of testing, assessment, examinations and qualifications." The press release continues: "The inquiry will examine how to restore confidence in the exam system so that testing in schools and exam qualifications are rigorous, robust and relevant." Shadow […]
The Conservatives have called for the Government to drop ETS, the company behind this year’s exam marking fiasco, in time for next year’s exams. Michael Gove said: "ETS have forfeited the right to run future SATs tests. Every day brings new evidence of their serial incompetence. Ministers must act now to ensure next year’s exams […]
You may remember that in September John Bercow and Patrick Mercer had agreed to advise the government on learning difficulties in children, and security issues respectively. Mercer discontinued his role after a month but Bercow has published an extensive report today that has been welcomed by both the Government and the Conservatives. Download full report […]
According to The Times, Sir Simon Milton – adviser to Boris Johnson and leader of the Local Government Association – believes that profit-making companies should be permitted to run schools and fire under-performing teachers. We agree. The average school building and grounds are hugely under-used for large parts of every week and for the summer […]