Monday’s speech and today’s announcement show them choosing their ground for the next election. And since Hunt may find no money for further tax cuts next spring, the option of a May general election is opening up.
These 18 year olds may not wish to do a full honours degree. But it should be far easier for them to be funded to get to level four or five – Higher National Certificates, Higher National Diplomas etc.
As his options narrow, Sunak has little choice but to get back to first principles, which would be the right course anyway.
The Prime Minister has stated that because of the long gestation period there will be time for consultation: this is essential. The A Level system is certainly not perfect, but neither is it completely broken.
On education, high speed rail and smoking, he will allow our country to pursue an ambitious and optimistic future for people, whoever they are and wherever they come from.
The Government is now trying to make T levels the main vocational alternative to A levels. It is not clear that they can take on such a big role.
The Prime Minister’s proposal should be taken as the start of a much broader reform agenda, from a man who claims improving educational standards was the mission that got him into politics in the first place.
Plus: Why the number of ghost children should worry us. And: the Treasury should target social media companies to protect youngsters.
We must get both borrowing and debt down so that, faced with a future pandemic, war or crisis, we can properly respond.
An external comparator is a useful way of measuring the relative impact of various waves of public sector education reform.
The Department for Education has had a year to work out how to prevent a repeat of last year. It has rolled over.
‘We’ve seen a year where students, schools, the whole nation has had to deal with incredibly large challenges’, he says.
The mathematical sciences contribute over £200 billion to the UK economy. So we must do our utmost to foster talent in this field.
This perhaps reflects the fact that with the Speech happening on 7th November, there will be little actual time for legislation in the final session of Parliament in any case.