A collection of articles said that social mobility had not increased since the 1960s and might have declined, with children more likely to take up the occupation of parents and adults more likely to marry a partner of the same social class. The main causes for the lack of social mobility were education policies that disproportionately benefited middle-class students, and growing inequalities in income since the late 1970s. The expansion of higher education had overwhelmingly benefited wealthier students, but had been subsidised by poorer young people.
Source: Wendy Piatt (ed.), New Economy, Institute for Public Policy Research, available from Blackwell Publishing (01865 778315)
Links: IPPR press release | Guardian report
Date: 2003-Dec
A summary was published of an official opinion survey of children and young people aged 7-16 in England. Questions were asked on a range of education-related issues, including the quality of schools and the teaching in them, and problems such as bullying. Among those aged 7-11, 87 per cent thought theirs was a 'really good school': but this fell to 68 per cent among those aged 11-16.
Source: Children & Young People Survey: Summary of Results July 2003, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report (Word file)
Date: 2003-Nov
The Department for Education and Skills published its autumn 2003 performance report, showing progress against public service targets. It highlighted improvements in nursery provision, key stage 3 test results, the specialist schools programme, teacher numbers, basic skills provision, and participation in higher education.
Source: Autumn Performance Report 2003: Achievement against public service agreement targets, Cm 6006, Department for Education and Skills TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2003-Nov
An article argued that there was less consensus than appeared among policy makers about the meaning of a 'high skills' society.
Source: Caroline Lloyd and Jonathan Payne, 'What is the 'high skills society'? Some reflections on current academic and policy debates in the UK', Policy Studies, Volume 24 Numbers 2-3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2003-Nov
The opposition Conservative party proposed a plan to allow parents to 'spend' the amount allocated on their child's education on the school of their choice, including private schools. It said the 'better schools passport' plan would 'revolutionise' the school system. The next Conservative government would pilot the scheme in inner London, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool. Parents would also be given the chance to set up particular types of school in their areas, such as new grammar schools. But the Conservative spokesman on education reportedly said that he would rather be a beggar than send his own children to a state school.
Source: Press release 6 October 2003, Conservative Party (020 7222 9000) | The Guardian, 10 October 2003
Links: Conservative Party press release | Speech | ISCis press release | Guardian report
Date: 2003-Oct
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs which had expressed doubts over the policy of promoting diversity in secondary education. It said that all children should have the opportunity to attend schools which 'celebrate their distinctive ethos and use their curriculum strengths... to raise standards right across the curriculum', and claimed that there was already evidence of the positive impact of diversity.
Source: Government Response to the Committee's Fourth Report: Secondary Education - Diversity of Provision, Fourth Special Report (Session 2002-03), HC 1096, House of Commons Education and Skills Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Response (pdf) | Report
Date: 2003-Sep
A report provided an overall analysis of the various privatisation policies and initiatives under way in secondary schools.
Source: Mortgaging our Children's Future: Privatisation of secondary education, Centre for Public Services (0114 272 6683)
Links: Summary
Date: 2003-Jul
A think-tank paper argued that the education system would be transformed only when small-scale improvements and school-based innovations were shared between schools and teachers, without direct interference by central government.
Source: David Hargreaves, Education Epidemic: Transforming secondary schools through innovation networks, Demos, available from Central Books (020 8986 5488)
Links: Paper (pdf) | Demos press release
Date: 2003-Jun
A think-tank paper proposed a radical plan to enable parents to remove their children from failing state schools and place them in private education instead. Parents would be given a cash payment towards a place in an existing private school, or help to fund new schools set up by the parents themselves.
Source: James Tooley, Pauline Dixon and James Stanfield, Delivering Better Education: Market solutions for educational improvement, Adam Smith Institute (020 7222 4995)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary
Date: 2003-Jun
The government published a strategy document on primary education. It announced reforms to the testing process at key stage 1 (at age 7), including a trial from 2004 under which test results would be combined with teacher judgement, rather than being reported separately. Schools would be asked to set their own targets for key stage 2 (at age 11) and the 2004 national target (for 85 per cent of this age group to achieve a set standard in English and maths) would be deferred until 2006. One teaching union said the government should have reviewed the whole question of schools performance figures, league tables, and the unfair pressure they placed on schools.
Source: Excellence and Enjoyment Strategy for primary schools, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260) | Press release 20.5.03, National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers (0121 453 6150)
Links: Report (pdf) | DfES press release | Hansard | NASUWT press release | Guardian report
Date: 2003-May
A think tank said that the development of an internal school to school market could play a positive role in improving school standards. Such a market could help liberate schools from central control, with the independence gained by earning extra money from the sale of educational services.
Source: Joe Hallgarten, 'The school-to-school market: supporting bottom-up innovation', New Economy, Spring 2003, Institute for Public Policy Research, available from Central Books (0845 458 9911)
Links: Press release
Date: 2003-Mar
A committee of the Scottish Parliament set out ten criteria for educational reform in Scotland and a template for future educational policy. Key objectives included reducing the influence of assessment, testing and examinations; reducing the extent of direct central prescription in the curriculum; and reducing the influence of audit and inspection.
Source: Inquiry into the Purposes of Scottish Education, Sixth Report 2003, SP Paper 815, Scottish Parliament Education, Culture and Sport Committee, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Report
Date: 2003-Mar
The government announced that the 'beacon school' initiative would not be extended any further for primary, nursery and special schools; and that for secondary schools it would be replaced by the 'leading edge programme' (under which high-performing schools are chosen to spread innovation and excellence among other schools).
Source: House of Commons Hansard, Written Answers 24.2.03, columns 143-144W, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Hansard
Date: 2003-Feb
The government announced a new strategy for secondary education, centred on the encouragement of 'specialist' schools. It said that all schools would be able to become specialist schools, and announced two new specialist areas, in music and humanities. It said that 1,209 secondary schools have been designated as specialist schools so far - exceeding the target of 1,000 by September 2003.
Source: A New Specialist System: Transforming Secondary Education, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260) | Press release 10.2.03, Department for Education and Skills (0870 000 2288)
Links: Report (Word file) | Press release
Date: 2003-Feb
The Labour Party issued a consultation document on its policies on education.
Source: The Best Education for All, Labour Party (08705 900200)
Links: Consultation Document (pdf)
Date: 2003-Jan
The head of an inquiry into the future of A (Advanced) levels said that parents need an independent education ombudsman to help restore their faith in schools and the exams system. He also criticised the continuation of excessive levels of bureaucracy in the education system, and a proliferation of central government initiatives.
Source: Interview with Mike Tomlinson in The Independent, 2.1.03
Links: Independent article
Date: 2003-Jan
The Scottish Executive set out its strategic priorities for education, including increasing pupil choice in the school curriculum, simplifying and reducing the amount of assessment, reducing class sizes and improving pupil/teacher ratios.
Source: Educating for Excellence: Choice and Opportunity - The Executive's Response to the National Debate, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Report (pdf) | Report
Date: 2003-Jan
