Both myself and my children have been educated in state schools, but I really worry about the state of education in this country.
Despite spending on education being the highest that we have ever seen there are still far too many students who leave school with little to show for it, and too many schools who appear to fail the young people in their charge. I believe that all of us are born with individual abilities and it is those that must be enhanced by our education system.
I support streaming and as a governor of a Grammar School I believe that each persons abilities should be the indicator for the type of education they receive.
The National Health Service can’t keep up with demand and across the country local health bosses are being forced, by national targets, to cut spending and services. We have job cuts, hospital closures, no dentists and hospital super bugs, but Gordon Brown adheres to his centrally imposed targets, and spends billions doing so. Gordon Brown should not be setting local targets for our health care.
I know all too well about this. One of my children has developmental challenges but can’t be seen by a specialist doctor for 26 weeks – 6 months is an eternity when you are only aged five!
We need to free hospitals to set their own priorities, related to the priorities of the areas they serve. But we also need to ensure that services are better managed, not over managed. The temptation, when services are failing, is to over-regulate and micro-manage when what they need is the opposite.
2 Comments
August 14, 2007 at 4:50 pm
Dear Mr Davis,
We have just registered to vote in the area, having moved from Boris Johnson’s constituency in Oxfordshire, and recieved your welcome letter. Whilst not active in politics, my wife and I are supportive of Conservative policies, and always make the effort to vote.
I believe the Conservative party is moving in the right direction, but am alarmed by David Cameron’s latest stance on grammar schools. I am a product of the comprehensive system and hated it, especially as the year before me still had the option of grammar schools. I believe that the party’s move away from a definite pro-grammar stance will cost you votes. You’ll get our vote anyway, but thought you might like a bit of grass-roots opinion!
August 14, 2007 at 6:06 pm
Welcome Russ.
I am currently a Governor of a Grammar School and recognise the education they provide. My only regret is that the quality of the teaching is not available to all – that said they do a very goo job in working with other schools in the community. I too came from a comprehensive school – although they still called it Secondary Modern!
I think you will find my views on this issue by clicking the tab marked ‘Public Services’ above.