School report a disgrace, says Clark

Revelations that 500,000 children have left primary school, since Labour came to power, without the basic tools of literacy are shameful, according to UKIP education spokesman Derek Clark.

The East Midlands MEP said: "This government and its predecessor has nobody to blame but themselves. Not only have they abandoned tried and tested methods of teaching and teacher training, in favour of dogmatically inspired social engineering, but they have blighted half a million young lives.

"When I was a teacher, I would have marked the DCFS with a 'F minus - see me'.

"It is about time that this government did indeed see me and the rest of the country and leave as soon as possible."

A new generation of primary academies

Michael Gove has announced plans to drive up standards in the state school sector by creating a new generation of primary academies, free from political interference.

Under the plans, state primary schools which have demonstrated excellent performance and leadership will be given academy freedoms over their curriculum, budget, staff and school hours. They will be accountable to parents for behaviour and standards, and would be freed from local authority control.

Michael, the Shadow Children's Secretary, said, "Making schools genuinely accountable to parents by freeing them from political interference and giving them control over budgets, curriculum and staff, could make a real difference to the opportunities for some of the most deprived children.”

Under Labour, four million children have failed to get five good GCSEs including English and Maths. Many are failed in primary school, with four in ten children leaving primary school unable to read, write and add up.

Michael stressed, “Academy freedoms for secondary schools have already helped thousands of disadvantaged children by driving up standards in the state sector. We want to allow the same thing to happen in primary schools."

A new generation of primary academies

Michael Gove has announced plans to drive up standards in the state school sector by creating a new generation of primary academies, free from political interference.

Under the plans, state primary schools which have demonstrated excellent performance and leadership will be given academy freedoms over their curriculum, budget, staff and school hours. They will be accountable to parents for behaviour and standards, and would be freed from local authority control.

Michael, the Shadow Children's Secretary, said, "Making schools genuinely accountable to parents by freeing them from political interference and giving them control over budgets, curriculum and staff, could make a real difference to the opportunities for some of the most deprived children.”

Under Labour, four million children have failed to get five good GCSEs including English and Maths. Many are failed in primary school, with four in ten children leaving primary school unable to read, write and add up.

Michael stressed, “Academy freedoms for secondary schools have already helped thousands of disadvantaged children by driving up standards in the state sector. We want to allow the same thing to happen in primary schools."

(DFT) Best feet forward as London pupils say goodbye to the school run

Primary school children across London are swapping their parents' cars for the pavement in return for a share of £1.8m of Government money. 94 schools in the capital have been awarded up to £1,000 to encourage pupils to walk to school, helping them to keep fit and reducing the number of journeys made by car.

'Walking buses' are convoys of pupils accompanied by staff or volunteers which follow a set route to school, and are amongst a range of measures introduced by local heads in recent years to curb the number of cars on the school run. Now those schools whose schemes have seen a sufficient drop in the number of car journeys to and from the school gates are set to benefit from an extension to their funding.

Transport Minister, Paul Clark, said:

"We have always been clear that we want as many children to walk or cycle to school as possible. Not only will this help tackle the issues of childhood obesity and carbon emissions, it is also an excellent way for young children to learn more about road safety. I am delighted that these 94 schools in London are doing such great work."

Schools which have managed to save an average of five return car trips a day will be receiving a grant of £1,000 to continue their work, while those running smaller schemes will each receive £500. Typically, grants are spent on organising and promoting the schemes, in addition to providing equipment such as high-visibility clothing.