A guide was published to the 2002 Education Act.
Source: John Fowler with Emily Evans, A Guide to the Education Act 2002, The Education Network (020 7554 281) and Advisory Centre for Education
Links: Extract (pdf)
Date: 2002-Dec
The Secretary of State for Education told a committee of MPs: 'Selection regimes produce a system that inhibits educational opportunities for significant numbers of people'. He said that local education authorities which have retained the 11-plus exam should review their admissions procedures.
Source: Minutes of Evidence for Wednesday 11 December 2002: The Rt. Hon. Charles Clarke MP, Secretary of State for Education and Skills, Oral evidence 2002-03, HC177-i, House of Commons Education and Skills Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Evidence
Date: 2002-Dec
The Prime Minister said that: 'The principle behind the comprehensive reform was right: equality of opportunity. The trouble was it all too often carried with it the notion that children should be treated as of the same ability; and that freedom for schools would mean freedom to discriminate.'
Source: Speech by Tony Blair MP, 26.11.02
Links: Text of speech
Date: 2002-Nov
The Education Secretary announced plans for 'earned autonomy' for state schools, under which those getting good inspection reports will be given the right to abandon the national curriculum, set their own pay scales and manage their own affairs.
Source: Speech by Charles Clarke MP, Secretary of State for Education and Skills, 11.11.02
Links: Text of speech (Word file) | DfES press release
Date: 2002-Nov
Campaigners said it is difficult to discern a coherent rationale underpinning the government s 'diversity' policy in education, and that diversity should not be allowed to undermine the comprehensive principle.
Source: Diversity of Provision in Secondary Education, Campaign for State Education (020 8944 8206)
Links: Report
Date: 2002-Nov
A report argued that education reform needs to be stepped up, in view of continuing problems over a range of issues, including children's literacy and numeracy, inefficiency procedures against teachers, teacher training, vocational education, and the number of poor schools.
Source: Conor Ryan, Freedom from Failure, Centre for Policy Studies (020 7222 4488)
Links: No link
Date: 2002-Nov
A think-tank pamphlet argued that all state schools should be freed from government control, and given the same legal status as private schools.
Source: John Redwood MP, Power to Parents, Centre for Policy Studies (020 7222 4488)
Links: Summary
Date: 2002-Oct
A report argued that greater use of selection will do nothing to raise standards, and will serve only to worsen existing social segregation and inequalities of educational opportunity.
Source: Tony Edwards and Sally Tomlinson, Selection Isn't Working: Diversity, standards and inequality in secondary education, Catalyst, available from Central Books (020 8986 4854)
Links: Summary
Date: 2002-Oct
Estelle Morris resigned as Secretary of State for Education, saying that she had 'not done the job as well as I should have'. She was replaced by Charles Clarke.
Source: Press release 24.10.02, Department for Education and Skills (0870 000 2288) | The Guardian, 24.10.02
Links: Press release | Guardian
Date: 2002-Oct
A public consultation exercise found that comprehensive schools and a broad curriculum are seen as key strengths of the Scottish education system, but that there is room for innovation and change in other areas.
Source: Pamela Munn, The National Debate on Education: Emerging Views, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Report (pdf) | Press release
Date: 2002-Oct
The Prime Minister said that: 'In education, we need to move to the post-comprehensive era, where schools keep the comprehensive principle of equality of opportunity but where we open up the system to new and different ways of education, built round the needs of the individual child.'
Source: Speech by Tony Blair MP to Labour Party Conference, 1.10.02
Links: Speech
Date: 2002-Oct
A Conservative Party pamphlet condemned the government's record on inner city schools, and said that more money for education does not automatically improve standards.
Source: John Tate and Greg Clark, The Children Left Behind, Conservative Party (020 7222 9000)
Links: Pamphlet (pdf)
Date: 2002-Sep
A paper argued for devolution of the education budget to 'front-line' managers, thereby freeing resources and producing a more responsive, local, and parent-focused school system.
Source: Stephen Pollard, Customers not Bureaucrats: Identifying and getting real value for money in state education, Adam Smith Institute (020 7222 4995)
Links: Paper (pdf)
Date: 2002-Aug
The former chief inspector of schools argued that the bodies in charge of the exam system should be scrapped, and the national curriculum torn up - leaving parents free to choose between competitive schools.
Source: Chris Woodhead, The Standards of Today and How to Raise them to the Standards of Tomorrow, Adam Smith Institute (020 7222 4995)
Links: Paper (pdf)
See also: Journal of Social Policy Volume 31/4, Digest 124, paragraph 3.6
Date: 2002-Jul
The Education Bill, designed to introduce greater specialisation and diversity in secondary education, received Royal Assent.
Source: Education Act 2002, Department for Education and Skills, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Act
See also: Journal of Social Policy Volume 31/1, Digest 121, paragraph 3.1
Date: 2002-Jul
A paper argued in favour of vouchers, or 'education cheques', in order to give parents consumer power - including the ability to use them to buy private education.
Source: Stuart Sexton, The Education Cheque: Bringing Education Choice to All, Adam Smith Institute (020 7222 4995)
Links: Paper (pdf)
See also: Journal of Social Policy Volume 31/3, Digest 123, paragraph 10.1
Date: 2002-Jul
A paper argued that the improvement in examination results owes more to competition between schools than to centralised controls: schools could produce still more improvements if they were given more freedom to manage themselves.
Source: Steve Bradley and Jim Taylor, The Report Card on Competition in Schools, Adam Smith Institute (020 7222 4995)
Links: Paper (pdf)
Date: 2002-Jul
The Institute of Directors called for the replacement of the 'one size fits all' secondary school system by a clearly selective system with a proper vocational pathway; and the scrapping of the 50 per cent target for young people to go on to higher education, with far more effort being made into developing and promoting post-school vocational training.
Source: Ruth Lea, Education and Training: A Business Blueprint for Reform, Institute of Directors (020 7766 8866)
Links: Report part 1 (pdf) | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Summary (pdf)
Date: 2002-Jul
