DAVID Cameron has pledged a “revolution” in Britain’s state education.
The Conservative leader, speaking exclusively to the M.E.N., revealed plans to allow co-operatives of parents and teachers to set up and run their own schools.
He was speaking as a new report penned by former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith put education at the heart of the problems facing a “divided” Manchester.
The document – called “Breakthrough Manchester” – contrasted the booming city centre with a range of social and economic problems facing the inner city estates.
It pointed out the Manchester had the highest truancy rates in the country, low levels of academic achievement, the nation’s lowest male life expectancy and – in Greater Manchester as a whole – more crime per head than anywhere else in England and Wales.
In a wide-ranging interview, Mr Cameron said Mr Duncan Smith’s report had been “optimistic, not pessimistic” despite referring to “social breakdown” in the city.
“In the last 10 years we have seen real strides forward for Manchester,” said Mr Cameron. “If you look at some of the fantastic infrastructure and the economy there have been real improvements. But there are also real problems.”
The Tory leader said the city’s education performance was “just not good enough in this day and age”.
“Money is not enough,” he said. “We have got to have real discipline in our schools. We have got to allow headteachers to exclude pupils who are wrecking the education of others.
“We have got to have teaching methods that really work.”
Co-operatives
Mr Cameron said co-operatives were one of a number of “new bodies” who should be allowed to set up and run schools.
“The co-operative movement started here in Manchester,” he said. “Let’s have more co-operative schools owned by parents or teachers or combinations of parents and teachers. It works elsewhere.
“This is a revolution. At the moment all schools are effectively owned, run and controlled more or less by the state.
“In other countries – Holland, Sweden – what you see is other organisations coming into schools and raising standards.”
On health, Mr Cameron said Manchester’s low life expectancy was “a scandal”.
He called for a prioritisation of public health matters – such as obesity and problem drinking – saying it had been “treated the like poor relation” of the NHS.
Mr Cameron said it was “the responsibility of all of us” to cut crime rates. But he accused the government of failing to tackle the deep-rooted problem that fuelled gun and gang violence.
Measures
“A horrific shooting takes place, a crackdown is announced, a package of measures is thrown out there to appease the press – but the long-term things that need to be done are forgotten about,” he said. “That is about family and social breakdown.”
Mr Cameron said it was not acceptable that one in five working age adults in Manchester were not working, but instead living on benefits. He pointed out there were 18,000 people in the city who have been on incapacity benefit for more than five years.
“Some people should be on benefits, who can’t work, and they need to be supported by society,” he said. “Then there are people on incapacity benefit who could work but are not being pushed in terms of the right work for them. And there are some who really just should not be on the benefit and should be in work.”
Mr Cameron said the planned supercasino in east Manchester – which would have bought 3,000 jobs to the city before Gordon Brown put the brake on the development in summer – was not the answer.
“We have always had worries about problem gambling,” he said. “It looks like the supercasino is off the agenda. Frankly from our perspective, before it comes back we really want to see our concerns about problem gambling addressed.”
Mr Cameron said the new report showed his party remained committed to Manchester despite still having no seats on the city council.
“We recognise what an important city it is to Britain, to our economy, our culture,” he said. “We are thoroughly committed to Manchester. Of course I want us to be represented but sometimes these things can take a bit of time.”
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David Cameron's view on the supercasino really need more aggressive questioning than this.
How come he & his party supported the supercasino "all the way" - up until a week before the vote? Didn't he then "simply see an opportunity" to defeat the Government by supporting the pro Blackpool rebels?
And if he is so worried about problem gambling, what is he going to do about internet gambling, late night TV casino programmes and the current mass media advertisement of gambling? Where are his proposals then?
So don't make me laugh Mr Cameron - you stabbed Manchester in the back and cost us thousands of jobs & major investment in East Manchester!
Stop press:
David Cameron is on the verge of a single worthwhile policy.Sun readers voted that they weren't sure which one. David will be back in a years time to confirm which soundbite he prefers................snore
None of the politicle parties wont solve the problems we have on our streets and education until the get control back.which will only come about with the scrapping of the human rights act and the reintroduction corporal punishment and the death penalty for killer.?
The man is getting my vote.
1 in 5 scabbing of the state....holy cow, I have never claimed benefit in my life as there is work out there for anyone that wants it.
They should stop all benefit and replace it with care packages, they should just contain essential food and toiletries (all sourced locally), rent and utilities (doesn’t include SkyTV!!) would be paid directly and if they want any spending cash they would be a top up system where they can do local work for the community (street cleaning, gardening, etc…). There is no excuse for a health young person NOT to be working.
Perhaps if the Tories hadn't left the education system on it's knees when they were last in power we would have these problems . . . . . . ?
Chris, a superb idea. Pay their essential bills, buy groceries only etc. They have the essentials to survive on and are being taken care of by the state. What the state isn't doing is paying for cigarettes and cheap wine.
The Truth - how can anyone blame a party that left office over ten years ago. The current one had 'education, education, education' as it's top priority and threw money at it yet still it doesn't work.
I heard someone blaming MRSA on tory policies last week. How, after ten years. MRSA is casued by not cleaning properly? How long do Labour need before they stop blaming the Tories?
Caneron is a fine fellow and much better than the shaking leaf (did you see him on Monday) that we called our Prime Minister.
Cameron is an opportunist seeking to make headlines as usual.
I'm with you too Chris. We make it too easy for people to go on benefits that it has become the lifestyle of choice for many. 1 in 5 ? I find that disgusting. Any able bodied person on benefits should be given tokens for groceries so they cannot spend it on booze, fags, tattoos and Sky TV and only those who genuinely cannot work should be taken care of as they deserve and for what the welfare state was created for.
Frankly I don't trust Cameron any further than I could throw him. I can't think of a more transparent politician, and that's saying something.
Furthermore, it may be ten years since they were last in power but the Tories left such an indelible stain on the country (especially the north) last time around that I doubt the majority of the electorate have forgiven them even now.
All suit and no substance, lets pick a topic and grab a headline type of bloke.
The Truth Is, Manchester
You are not in the real world mate.We have african/asian countries way ahead of us in education and they dont have books never mind money so tell me why they have a better attitude towards education.Ill tell you they have control of their pupils and rules that the kids abide by,and if they dont they get punished ,that is why these countries are getting ahead of our overbloated education system.get control back in britain and we sort most of the problems.
I like what he said and I think he is toughening up on crime and school discipline etc. I also like "education is not just about money". I think the problem is bad head teachers can't get sacked or demoted, disruptive children can't be excluded because of review panels which should be abolished and because of targets to reduce exclusions so everything is geared to the bad apples not the ones who play by the rules. Hundreds of kids geared down to one bad apple. How crazy. The changes necessary to education in Manchester have nothing to do with money, they are all to do with mentality. Discipline costs nothing after all.
Wor Bobby said, 'All suit and no substance, lets pick a topic and grab a headline type of bloke.'
That line was from a headline type of bloke called Gordon Brown. David Cameron has shown the substance and evidence proven by many quarters and is determined to make it happen, because if he doesn't, his party would never gain power again. Educated people can also deliver the same thing for less and understand how less direct taxation can increase indirect taxation by a larger margin overall. Of course the financially naive out there won't understand this.
Ace...utter twaddle. Name the African/Asian countries that don't have books,Money with better education standards than the UK.
At the start of the 21st century, Britain's education system still reflects our class system.On the whole the middle classes do better..the working classes underacheive.Yes of course there are exceptions to this rule,but i'm talking generally.Labour has created a patchwork mess in our education system.....of faith schools,academies,the remaining grammer schools and an untouched private sector.The latter two need abolishing,as they merely ensure the continuation of the status quo (and i'm not talking about Rick Parfitt)..and the success of a few is acheived at the expense of the many.The state sector needs to offer, a truly equal playing field, to all kids,and not just a reproduction of the class system.That means a wholly state system with funds for teachers,books,equiptment, buildings etc(to Labour's credit,they have done a trillion times better than the tories in this respect).Also there has to be a stop to the constant testing, which leads to depression for many kids,and a halt to the excessive targets imposed on kids and schools,along with less tinkering,bueracratic change and workload on teachers.Bueraucracy comes naturally to New (or not)Labour,and these mandarins fail to see the damage that constant change does to teachers and schools. Coming on to Ace's point,discipline needs to be at the right level,i e firm but fair,I had teachers at school who were just bullies..or on the other hand allowed bullies to rule.The Tories though offer nothing,the majority of the front bench didn't even go to state schools.The Tory boys messed up education in the 80s and 90s.Or maybe it all went according to plan,as Maggie and co never cared about the children of manual workers,except for a few kids ,whose success can be held up to legitamise the unfair system.
I say David - you've two chances of getting my vote - and one of them's 'slim'. Now pop back 'dine sythe' and patronise the proles in the Home Counties, there's a good boy.
I wouldn't blame all the pupils.Just look at the Quality of the Teachers.They leave a lot to be desired.In my day,they put the fear of god up you.Now anything goes.
Ace, I'm surprised you didn't mention bringing back the birch?! That's what you right wing loonies usually start screaming about when discipline is mentioned on here.
The Truth Is, Manchester
Its people like you bleeding heart liberal types that have caused these problems.tell that to the pensioners who get beaten to a pulp by teenagers and gangs of hoodies,And thec innocent people who get murdered by children each year only this week they have arrested a 13year old for throwing somebody on a bombfire and killed the man? you people make me sick when you call people who want to defend themselves the far right????yea tell that to one of the families that have had love ones mugged or murdered by the monsters.
Notice the well informed ACE doesn't repsond when asked a simple question or is he busy researching all the African/asian countries, ( with no books/money) with better education systems.....i think not.
Ace isn't straight forwardly right wing,he seems to beleive in decency and tolerance,and doesnt seem racially intolerant.He is a beleiver in firm but fair discapline,and perhaps feels society is out of control, but much of what he rails against is greed,and unfairness.I'm a lifelong lefty but find myself agreeing with Ace,more than 50% of the time...but not on the birch and Brussels.He is a local treasure in my book,and not easily categorised.
Blue Ape With A Drum
Thank you for your kind letter.I am not a racist i have a mixed race daughter and jamaican grand kids but i dont know why im telling you this as ive nothing to be ashamed of in any of my letters that i post on this site.I find that if people in britain stand up for themselves they are branded "Racist" And yet if i was african saying similar things i would be welcomed by people saying well done for sticling up for your people ? I stick up for the indigenous people of britain whatever their colour.Pensioners come in all colours you know? black white yellow,brown all colours mate ......
A 13-YEAR-OLD boy has been charged with the murder of a man whose body was found in the embers of a bonfire in Birkenhead.
If this is the britain we want keep voting for the looney leftys .and those who are against real law and order.
Great post's Ace, it just goes to show why they are called looney lefty's, they always `label' people that don't fit in "your this your that" and considering liberal means freedom of expression, without being beaten down for your veiws, they are infact being anti-liberal - while at the same time claiming to be liberals, which is...looney.
I think this government are afraid to admit that their ideology has been a catastrophe, and their determined to be proved right (well anyone would - wouldn't they)
Blue Ape I agree with you about Ace, normally if you want a hard line on law and order and you want disciplined schools you do it because working class people benefit from this approach and get the stability they need to catch up with the middle class. If working class kids get disciplined schools and quiet neighbourhoods then they will catch up. So liberals who always want the state education and housing to be geared to some worst behaving near animal damage the working class and perpetuate the social divide. Like Ace I also think paying billions to Brussels, where the civil servants pay no tax, no road tax or VAT themselves, would be better spent on improving conditions for the working class here.