Joanna Watson asks what will you do to address the issue of Wolverhampton’s lower than average educational performance?
1. Star Etheridge – UKIP
As I’ve said before, UKIP will make vocational skills equal to academic skills and as well invested in as they have in Germany – this has helped their economy. UKIP will also bring Grammar schools back into use so that poorer families can get a better level of education if that’s what they want. You can’t force people into education, but must give them to develop.
2. Ian Jenkins – Lib Dems
Education is a key factor of Lib Dems manifesto, they are the party of education and he is personally disappointed at the lack of progress of education standards in Wton, despite being pleased with the education that his kid’s got in W’ton. There has been a culture in W Mids for too long of low achievement and this can be solved by better pupil to teacher rates. All kids must be well educated.
3. Becky Cooper – Green
The Greens will bring academies & free schools back into local authority control – as a teacher she wants full qualified teachers in schools and qualifications that other countries will recognise as there is a lack of this. We must reduce the gap between the South West & the rest of the city – not many kids from here access the Royal and Grammar schools and we need to ensure more people go into higher education as levels are very low.
She adds that the Green Party will wipe out student debts and abolish university fees if elected.
4. Emma Reynolds – Labour
Nationally Labour would protect educational budgets nationally, end Govt experiment of unqualified teachers, all will be qualified and Labour will ensure that teachers get continued training. Labour will also introduce class size cap for 5,6, and 7 year olds.
Locally, 18 -24 year old’s will benefit from the compulsory jobs guarantee and this will also apply to adults out of work for 2 years; we need to ensure young and old have access to training and can retrain and reskill in order to find work in new industries and areas of work.
Education shows W’ton nearer the bottom of league tables – there is still work to do and we need to do better on this complex issue – it’s a huge priority for Emma and she says equal opportunities should be available for all.
5. Darren Henry – Conservatives
The Cons will maintain the money that follows each child into school and ensure primary places for all children. Having spoken to someone from Bushbury, his kids went to school outside of W’ton for better level of education and this needs addressing. He feels free school bring competition and like the military, leaders in schools make a difference – having good head means schools will perform better and improve standards.
He highlighted the British Sikh Free School and Academies that are working well.