Blair's F for Failure Grade on Education Policy

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'Education, Education, Education', was the cry of the Prime Minister. We are now more than three years into the life of a Government that has education as a priority.

Some progress has been made in primary schools, however secondary schools now have the largest class sizes in ten years because of an acute shortage of teachers. At the same time in Birmingham we have A-level classes of 30 plus. Indeed a secondary school in the constituency of the Minister for Schools actually has its tightest financial position in ten years.

The teacher shortage is a national problem. The Government has reduced class sizes for Infants. However, the number of classes with over 30 pupils …