As the major parties look for all tools to grow the economy, address inequality and balance the post-Brexit, post-pandemic, green transition (affecting many policy areas, from immigration to online learning and upskilling), increasing attention has been paid to education. With education spanning from nursery to PhDs, Education is an important policy area where political parties are keen to pick up votes: after all, who wouldn’t want the student vote, the parent vote and the industry vote?
Early Intervention and Holistic Education Provision
There is considerable evidence for the benefit that early intervention and education provision extending beyond traditional academia, has for children, supported for instance by a House of Commons Science and Technology Committee report, 2018. It therefore follows that Labour have offered greater numbers of mental health support staff in schools, as well as introducing free breakfast clubs in primary schools.
With funding looking heavily restricted, Labour have been keen for their policies to be ultra-targeted, with Deputy Leader of the Labour Party Angela Rayner repeatedly defending the breakfast clubs policy, for instance, as one of key ways that Labour can use limited funds to achieve success. With strong rhetoric on reforming the curriculum too, to place greater focus on languages, creative subjects and digital skills, expect reforms to feature in a Labour-run government.
A Drastic Trade-off in Education Policy
The Conservatives have recently faced a big shift in their focus. Whilst in 2019, their manifesto was keen on offering olive branches to students, with a focus on reforming tuition fees (ever the uncontroversial topic…), Sunak’s government and now Sunak on the campaign trail, has regularly stepped-up attacks on the university sector, favouring apprenticeships (Education Secretary (until the dissolution of parliament), Gillian Keegan, was herself an apprentice and often heralded its benefits).
In previous months, Sunak had touted policies surrounding the restriction of graduate visas (which allow recent foreign-born graduates to stay in the country for two years as they look for employment), in a bid to shore up those voters who want less immigration. However, following high backlash from industry, and even from within his Cabinet (the Chancellor and Education Secretary were known within Whitehall to be strong opposers to the reform), Sunak was forced to look into a watered-down bill to close immigration loopholes. Two days ago, the Conservatives announced plans to scrap ‘rip-off’ university degrees (those with high drop-out rates and poor job prospects) to fund 100,000 apprenticeships.
Smaller Parties, Bigger Education Policy
Whilst mimicking policies of other parties including that of increased apprenticeships in IT, construction and engineering, the Reform Party have been quick to jump onto ‘woke ideology’, which they argue has led to universities engaging in “political bias or cancel culture”, which they have come out in outright condemnation of. On the flip side, parties like the Liberal Democrats have opted for more carrot than stick, just today pledging free school meals for all primary school students, with a focus on mental health for children too, funded by a tax on share buybacks (a policy that has received mixed reviews on the feasibility of it, and the expected revenues).
Final Thought
Education has always been a way for political parties to offer clear visions and get people onside. Tony Blair famously answered ‘Education, Education, Education’, when asked for his top three priorities in Government, with Liberal Democrats being historically recognised for their policy to add 1p on income tax for education funding, a policy we expect to see dropped from their 2024 manifesto. But with scandals surrounding Ofsted, RAAC and opportunities like the UK-EU youth mobility scheme, currently rejected by both major parties, will this be a moment where positive policies are overshadowed by negative headlines and crises?
Curia’s own Levelling Up Commission investigated Education, Skills and Training as part of its inquiry into implementing levelling up. As we launch our report, available to Curia’s Industrial Strategy Research Group Subscribers, contact team@curiauk.com to find out more.