Whats the Labour Government ever done for Education?

Whats the Labour Government ever done for Education

The Labour Government has helped to achieve better exams results and record numbers in further and higher education, thanks to investments, unlike cuts seen in previous Tory governments of which have been promised under any future Tory governments with promises of 10% cuts to vitally needed public services, guaranteeing Tory policy of help the few at the expense of the many.

Labour investments into education

· The Labour party saw education as another priority when coming to power in 1997 and since then spending in education has risen from £37.7 billion in 1997 to £77.7 billion in 2007.

· However the Tories have refused to match these investments, proving that Labour is a party of investment and Conservatives are the party of cuts.

Better schools and teachers under Labour

· We now have far more teachers under Labour government now with a further 36,000 extra teachers and 172,000 more classroom assistants.

· An additional 1,100 new schools have been built or old schools rebuilt thanks to Labour building programmes. But again Tories would rather cut these projects, stopping investments into much needed areas.

· And teachers pay has now increased by over 40%. The average pay of a teacher is now over £33,000. This is a long way away from the starting pay of a teacher in 1997 of just £14,280.

Improving exam results year on year under Labour

· Now over 60% of pupils achieve at least five good GCSEs compared with just 45% of pupils in 1997. Labour investments have helped ensure higher standards of education to the benefit of everyone.

· Furthermore 11 year olds are achieving higher expected levels. Increasing from 63% to 80% in English, and from 62% to 77% in Maths between 1997 and 2007, in just ten years of Labour government!

Increased support for learning

· Under the Labour government the EMA (Education Maintenance Allowances) was introduced. This has helped give 527,000 young people from low income families’ up to £30 a week as incentive to stay in education after the age of 16.

· Student grants have been re-introduced, helping hundreds of thousands of students through their education. Grants of £2,835 a year from September 2008 will help 100,000 students living in households which income is under £25,000, As well as partial grants for those in families earning up £60,000 a year.

· Thanks to this kind of action taken record numbers of British students are now at university.

Further investments into learning projects

· Labour has made a further £50 million investment to support 450 projects in 3,000 workplaces, which has helped 67,000 workers to improve their skills.

The Tories set to leave education system in ruins

· They have refused to match Gordon Brown’s promise to match the spending on children in state schools with that of private schools. The Tories once again showing their true colours with their willing to leave state schools under funded.

· The Tories are opposed to raising the education and training leaving age, denying thousands of young people a guaranteed apprenticeship, training or place to study at school or college, which would benefit them for life.

· The Tories would cut £4.5 billion from Labour’s Building Schools for the Future programme, which would see hundreds of schools denied funds needed to rebuild and refurbish, proving the Tories are a party of cuts by disregarding the benefit these investments would bring to the pupils and the country.

Education has been a major priority for Labour since coming to power, so by increasing investments into education Labour have been able to provide a brighter future to people through improved schools and teachers, introducing incentives and placements to help with apprenticeships and further education. And the result is clear; exam results have soared and we have record numbers of students going to university. Labour has provided pupils both young and old the opportunity for success in their working adult lives. Unlike the Tories who have continually promoted inequality, they provide the simple sum; cut investment means a cut in the future for the country. If you would like further information on education here are some important websites and numbers you can call:

Information on all education and learning including EMA for 16-19 year olds and student grants for higher education:

www.direct.gov.uk/en/educationandlearning

Lifelong Learning:

www.learndirect.co.uk or 0800 101 901