Opinion: People of all ages should have access to genuine lifelong learning

As a mother and having had a career in the early years education settings I have always believed that giving children the best possible start in life is the most effective way of creating a more prosperous and more caring society, writes Sandra Bond, Liberal Democrat Councillor for Gunthorpe Ward.
By Sandra BondContributor
Published 24th Mar 2023, 09:17 BST
Our children need the space to flourishOur children need the space to flourish
Our children need the space to flourish

More than 20 years ago, the Lib Dems championed the concept of putting an extra “penny on income tax” to pay for better early years education and at the time that was a hugely popular policy.

More recently when Lib Dems were in Government between 2010 and 2015, we advocated and successfully implemented the “pupil premium” whereby all schools receive an extra amount of funding for every child on their roll who qualifies for a free school meal. In the period after 2015, when the Tories were in government on their own, they changed the method of calculation of the pupil premium to reduce its benefit but it is still a vital source of funding for many schools in Peterborough and elsewhere which are in areas of high social deprivation.

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Lib Dems locally have published our “Eight Point Plan for Peterborough” (www.peterboroughlibdems.org.uk) and believe that early years and primary education is the most important stage of a child’s education. We want to see all children being able to attend their local primary school and receive a comprehensive and inclusive education: hence, we would look to phase out admissions policies which are based on faith or other non-educational criteria.

We believe that people of all ages should have access to genuine lifelong learning, which for many people will involve a good secondary and further education. We want to see all children make progress regardless of their backgrounds or special educational needs and that they receive the appropriate level of support. Post 16, we want everyone to have the right choice of skills and courses to suit their needs, whether for academic or vocational education. For those coming to education later in life, we want to see good opportunities for retraining and skills development.

We welcome the setting up of a new university in Peterborough and believe it can deliver a considerable boost to the local economy and prevent the “brain drain” of young people moving out of Peterborough and never returning that has blighted our city for so many years.

Last, but by no means least, the Lib Dem commitment to democracy and participation means that we want to enhance the rights of parents and students, for example by the setting up of school councils with meaningful powers in all local schools and in higher education institutions.

Related topics:PeopleLib DemsLiberal DemocratGovernmentPeterborough