Education is the closest thing we have to a silver bullet.
It might be a cliché in politics, but it’s one which still holds true. Investing in people is the single best thing we can do to improve the world around us.
It spawns the doctors, engineers, and business people of tomorrow. It lights a spark in people who go on to change our lives for the better. And it gives people some of the tools they need to navigate life.
That’s why of all the things we’ve achieved in government since I became an MP, our record on education is the thing I’m most proud of.
At the last Budget school spending increased to its highest real terms ever – across both primary and secondary education. This is great news for schools and pupils, but it’s only half of the equation. What matters most isn’t what you’re putting in, it’s what you’re getting out.
The fairest way to measure this is generally through international comparison. Grade inflation makes it tricky to compare UK figures year-on-year, but how we match up globally can’t be fudged.
Since 2010 England has flown up every international league table – for science, for maths, for reading. Children in England are now the most literate in Europe, and the fourth most literate in the world.
That hasn’t happened by accident. It’s thanks to a huge programme of reform – giving schools greater freedom but also holding them more accountable for their actions. And the numbers speak for themselves.
The proportion of children in good or outstanding schools has risen from 66% in 2010, to nearly 90% today. Only 58% of six-year-olds were able to read words fluently in 2012. By 2019, the figure had risen to 82%.
I’ve made it one of my five priorities to help students get the most from their education locally.
Whether that’s helping our local schools win investment - like The Lenham School to get more classroom space through the School Rebuilding Programme, or Queen Elizabeth Grammar, Sheldwich and Graveney Primaries to get improvements through the Condition Improvement Fund.
Whether that’s supporting better standards locally – like the brilliant Snowfields Academy in Bearsted which caters for students on the autistic spectrum and was recently rated Outstanding by Ofsted.
Or whether it’s bringing opportunities to students thinking about the next step – like my Maidstone Apprenticeship Fair.
As a government we’re working hard to put technical and vocational education on an equal footing with traditional academic routes. While university can be a good option it’s far from the only one, and apprenticeships are a fast-track to develop skills while working and earning.
The Fair is taking place this year on Friday 8th March at Maidstone Leisure Centre, and we’ve got over 1,600 students coming to meet companies from Amazon to Shepherd Neame. Please do mention it to anyone you think might be interested.
There’s information about all of this on my website, and please do get in touch with me if I can do anything to support local students and schools.
