Leading article: Blair could learn from the Danes
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Your support makes all the difference.Barry Sheerman is the most influential back-bench Labour MP on education in the House of Commons. He is not naturally disposed towards rebellion. In fact, he has agreed with much of the Prime Minister's education programme - witness his voting record on controversial matters such as top-up fees and the schools legislation that will pave the way for Tony Blair's independently-run "trust" schools. So when he mounts a critique of government policy, as he did at the Professional Association of Teachers' annual conference, he deserves to be listened to.
He made three main points - first, England should adopt the Danish model and start compulsory schooling at seven with a top-quality nursery system between the ages of three and seven; second, there should be a review of testing and assessment arrangements to avoid pupils being constantly taught to a different test throughout their school lives; and third, the Government's obsession with parent power is creating a system of very good and "bloody awful" state schools.
The select committee on education, which he chairs, will be conducting an inquiry into testing in the autumn and we hope that ministers will take any recommendations it makes for a reduction in testing very seriously. The idea of children starting school at seven rather than six, as now, has considerable merit. The argument is that more creative learning through play at an early age can make children more amenable to learning later in their school lives. We have some sympathy with Sheerman's comment that parent power has led to some "bloody awful" state schools. This underlines the need for a stringent code on admissions to avoid selection by stealth.
His final point - that there has been a frightening turnover of ministers at the Department for Education and Skills - is something that should concern us all. Since David Blunkett went in 2001 we have had four Secretaries of State: Estelle Morris for 18 months, Charles Clarke for two years, Ruth Kelly for 18 months and Alan Johnson since May. As Sheerman pointed out, any school with such a turnover would deserve immediate inspection by Ofsted.
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