Blair Set on Change Despite Warnings

By Zoe Hughes Political Editor

Tony Blair yesterday defended controversial plans to reform the education system despite warnings national policies were failing children in the North-East.

As the Prime Minister made a keynote speech to the first North- East Economic Forum, leading academics called on ministers to devolve greater power over education or see generations of children in the region failed by the system.

Northumbria University professor Lynn Dobbs launched a hard- hitting attack on Government targets and the national curriculum during the conference, saying that by 11 youngsters were “stressed and demoralised” by the constant round of examinations. Education policy was sucking the joy out of learning, said Prof Dobbs, director of the Centre for Public Policy at the university. She said national educational policy was “failing our region”.

Her warning came as the Prime Minister used the inaugural economic forum near Sedgefield to defend the Government’s Education White Paper, saying reform was critical to the future of the economy.

“Education and knowledge is the only route to prosperity,” Mr Blair said. “Education is the liberator. It is the gateway. It is the only thing that can transform their lives.”

Mr Blair is coming under intense fire over proposals to create independent trust schools, taking powers away from councils and giving more say to parents over the running of schools. Labour backbenchers have told the Prime Minister his plans face a rough ride in the Commons, particularly over calls to increase private- sector involvement and give schools power over their own admissions.

However, he used yesterday’s speech to hit back at his critics. This was a “once-in-a-generation” opportunity to correct the mistakes of the past, he declared.

There had been a “deadening uniformity” in education, with too little focus on standards.

“Education is the new economic policy- making in the future. The key now is to apply those lessons, push them right through the education system so that young children ( whether they are growing up in Sedgefield or in London ( have got the chance to make the most of their God-given potential.

“It’s the only vision, in my view, that will work in the 21st Century.”

The scale of the challenge facing education bosses in the region was spelled out by Mr Blair’s former policy director and schools minister Lord Adonis, who admitted education in the North-East was among the worst in the country.

Addressing almost 200 delegates, Lord Adonis said one in three secondary schools in the region was performing at less than 75% of the regional and national average, with Newcastle experiencing particular problems.

Prof Dobbs said the North-East had to be given the power to shape educational policy. “Our research has shown that all young people, regardless of educational performance, feel stressed and demoralised about the examination and testing. And many feel alienated in school.

“It’s heartbreaking to listen to people as young as 11 talking about worrying at school and feeling they are not doing well enough.”