Merlene writes on Education

Merlene Emerson - Your First Choice for London <info@merlene.org.uk>

Merlene writes on Education

April 17, 2010 9:30 AM
By Merlene Emerson

David Laws and Merlene Emerson As a parent, I know that finding a good, local school for your child is a daunting process. In Hammersmith, however, this most basic right has turned into an uphill struggle - in 2009 Hammersmith was amongst the worst performing London boroughs in granting parents a place at their first choice of secondary school.

For those who were left down by the admissions system, appealing made little difference. Only 2.5 per cent of appeals made by Hammersmith parents were granted during 2009.

I believe that parents should be able to choose schools, not the other way round. The Liberal Democrats would stop state schools from selecting pupils by ability, aptitude or faith and would give local authorities the responsibility for overseeing fair admissions in their areas. This would help to end discriminate practices which are being used to disadvantage young people from deprived neighbourhoods in affluent areas, such as ours.

In order to grant schools further powers to tackle disadvantage, the Liberal Democrats would also introduce the Pupil Premium which would increase funding for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. This money could be used to deliver more one-to-one tuition, smaller class sizes or higher pay for staff in order to attract the best teachers.

I want every child in Hammersmith to receive an excellent education in order to get the best possible start in life. Under the Liberal Democrats, this wouldn't be a pipe-dream but a reality.