It is one of a package of measures outlined in the White Paper on Schools presented on Monday, which also includes ambitious new performance targets for all primary and secondary school students across the country. The government says good behavior is the key to effective learning and is currently consulting on new behavioral guidelines in schools, including the use of suspensions and permanent exclusion. The White Paper, the first in six years, also announced plans to ensure that all schools in England offer a minimum school week of 32.5 hours, as well as an ambition for all schools to join academies by 2030, with new powers for councils establish their own academy trusts. Launching the school’s white paper on Monday, Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi promised to “spread brilliance” across the country, giving every child, whoever they are, “an excellent education”. “I do not think the kids at Knowlsey are less talented than the kids at Kensington, they just did not have the opportunity, that’s the difference – and I’m determined to make a difference to change it,” he said. At the heart of the government’s plans is the ambition of 90% of children to drop out of primary school having achieved the expected standards in reading, writing and math – a significant jump from just 65% in 2019. At the secondary level, meanwhile , the government wants to increase the average GCSE score in English and math from 4.5 to 5. “These things are perfectly possible,” Zahawi told a crowd of parents and teachers at the presentation of the White Paper at Monega Elementary School in Newham, East London, where he drew parallels between the success of the coronavirus vaccine and of his plans for lifting. educational standards. Asked about his plans for high schools, Zahawi said he would like to “spread their DNA” through the education system, but refused to commit to opening more. “We have 165 high schools. Their ethos is fantastic. I want to spread their DNA in the system. Many are already in the trusts of many high-performing academies. “We will continue to ensure that they feel they can participate in this journey and that they are protected as well.” However, a study published simultaneously by the Institute for Educational Policy (EPI) showed the enormous challenge that schools still face in terms of the continuing impact of the pandemic on learning, with children’s performance still lagging behind due to missed learning. While learning losses for primary school students in the fall semester 2021-22 have shown some signs of recovery from the summer, for secondary school students, the EPI reported further reading losses during this period. The report’s author, Jon Andrews, said: “Our latest data show a reduction in the extent of missed learning in primary school mathematics since the summer. However, what is particularly worrying is the performance of secondary school students. “Not that they are showing signs of recovery, they seem to be showing a greater degree of learning loss than at the end of last school year. “Disadvantaged children in secondary schools also seem to lag behind their non-disadvantaged peers in reading.” Education associations have warned that the government’s vision for the future of education in England will not be realized without additional funding and resources. Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the National Education Association, said: “This is a white paper that does not reflect on the mistakes of the past, does not look at Covid’s problems now and has no answers for the future. . “His message is that the education of the future will be a renewed version of what we have seen in the last decade. Schools and their students need something better than that. “This is not the vision of the education recovery that England needs.” He said schools were being hit by a storm of real problems with inadequate funding levels, growing child poverty, a widening performance gap, problems with teacher recruitment and retention and an outdated qualifications system. “The White Paper does not recognize the seriousness and depth of these issues. Even where it highlights significant problems, such as mental health, Send support [special educational needs and disability] and behavior, does not bind them to adequate funding “. “The ambitions set out in the White Paper will not be realized unless they are combined with the funding and resources needed to meet the challenges facing the education system today,” said Dr Patrick Roots, secretary general of the NASUWT Teachers’ Union.
