UK Tories pledge greater school choice

Conservative party policy released late last month would mean thousands more children would go to the schools of their parents'choice.

Using taxpayer money, parents could send their children to any school - state or independent - under Conservative proposals.

The party said its plans meant 100,000 more parents would be able to send their children to their first choice school in the first term of a Tory government and the parents of all school age children - primary, secondary and sixth form - would have the right to choose which school their children attended.

They would be able to take the £5,500 average spent per child to any school offering a good education as long as no charge was made to parents.

The Conservatives say the number of good school places would increase because popular schools would expand and new ones would be set up wherever there was parental demand. Under-performing schools would be forced to raise their game and failing ones would be taken over by new management.

The second key plank of the Conservatives' proposals would see teachers given far greater freedom. They promise headmasters and governors would be able to control their budgets and set school policies on admission, attendance and discipline.

A Tory government would abolish the appeals panel, giving heads and governors the authority to deal with disruptive pupils. It would also scrap targets imposed on schools.

The key points of the new policy.

More information is at this Conservative party web page.