Which Way Forward? A comparative review of the Government’s White Paper, Higher Standards: Better Schools for All, the Education and Inspections Bill, and the NUT’s education statement, bringing down the barriers.

By Professor Peter Mortimore former director of the Institute of Education, University of London May 2006.

Preface

Our intention in publishing the NUT’s Education Statement, Bringing Down the Barriers, was to stimulate
major debates in England and Wales about the future direction of the Education Service over the next five
years.We wanted to place social class and educational attainment at centre stage.

We anticipated significant milestones: the first was the 2005 General Election; the second was the
predilection of all new governments to publish landmark, direction-indicating White Papers.

The White Paper, Higher Standards, Better Schools for All, published in 2005, triggered the controversy. Even
compared with those of the last 25 years and the reforms of the late 80s and 1990s, this debate has been
in a league of its own.

The future of comprehensive education, the role and nature of schools in the community, the best way of
tackling the effects of segregation and poverty and the impact of global change on society in England, are
just some of the issues arising from the debate on the White Paper and the Education and Inspections Bill.

Bringing Down the Barriers enabled the NUT, supported by others, to make positive, optimistic responses to
the Prime Minister’s pessimistic assessment of education. It equipped us to put forward an alternative
prospectus with a different vision.We were confident that our policy statements were grounded on reliable
evidence and research. We said at the launch, however, that a year on from their publication, we would
commission an independent evaluation of our statements and of the Government’s policies and proposals.

Professor Peter Mortimore kindly accepted our invitation to conduct such an evaluation. Not only has Peter an
impeccable pedigree in initiating groundbreaking studies on school improvement and effectiveness, he has, since
his retirement as Director of Education at the University of London’s Institute of Education, been responsible for
leading OECD commissioned reviews of the education systems of Denmark and Norway. He was therefore
ideally placed to undertake a comparative review of the NUT’s proposals and those of the Government.

Professor Mortimore's study is enormously valuable. As with all research commissioned by the NUT, the
strength of his study lies in the independence of its insights. That the NUT’s proposals in Bringing Down the
Barriers have survived his thorough scrutiny is particularly welcome given his independence, knowledge and
experience.

Despite the concessions, the structural proposals in the Education and Inspections Bill remain profoundly
divisive. I believe, however, that we should be positive and proactive. Professor Mortimore's analysis and
recommendations will certainly inform the NUT’s own future policy development and responses to the Bill.

Indeed they will contribute to the thinking of all those who believe education to be a fundamental right.

The National Union of Teachers is determined that the barriers to equality of access to high quality education
for all young people are removed. I am determined that the NUT should remain at the centre of that battle
in order that all our children and young people, whatever their background, benefit from the fantastic
commitment, experience and expertise of teachers, communities and support staff and from the positive
developments which are taking place in other countries around the world.
The battle of ideas generated by the White Paper has only just started.

Steve Sinnott
General Secretary, National Union of Teachers