In this section
- Section Home
- Privacy Policy
- Get a postal vote

Archive
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- October 2006
- September 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- June 2006
- May 2006

Blog RSS feed

RSS Feeds

- News RSS
- Blog RSS
- Gallery RSS

Education, Education, Education

“Education, Education, Education.” Remember that? It’s true that during the last thirteen years, the Government have spent a record amount on education. We have new schools in Abbeyfield, Malmesbury and Wootton Bassett to show for it - although there are some concerns that the Private Finance Initiative which paid for them is the public equivalent to HP. But Alistair Darling’s promise in his Pre Budget Report to maintain education spending was wildly inaccurate. For a start, there will be an extra burden from a 1% increase in National Insurance on all employees earning £20,000 or more, which will have as damaging an impact on education as on business. Anyway, some might argue that that record high spending over 13 years is to blame for the economic mess we find ourselves in - an economic mess which Mr Darling went to lengths to try to ignore. It wasn’t so much a Pre Budget Report. More of a Pre Election Report. But the press and people alike have seen through that pretty quickly.

I’ve had a bit of an ‘education, education, education’ sort of time recently. Students from Hardenhuish and Sheldon Schools and Chippenham College came up to Parliament for a tour and a bit of a chat in a Committee Room - and some Christmas shopping in the afternoon for those that didn’t come to Question Time. I also went to Hardenhuish and Bradon Forest Schools for seminars about Politics and Parliament, spoke at the A-Level Prize Giving evening at Wootton Bassett School, and not so long ago visited Malmesbury School to meet the students visiting from Malmesbury, South Africa. Last week I went to the lovely Carol Concert and Prize Giving for Calder House School in Colerne, a private special school which particularly helps pupils with dyslexia. We are so fortunate in North Wiltshire in having so many outstandingly good schools - comprehensive and private, colleges, primary and specialist.

But unlike Mr Darling, I take the view that the vast mountain of debt needs to be paid off, and paid off quickly. We calculated that during the hour or so that he was on his feet last week delivering his statement, the National Debt had increased by roughly £10 million. The £1.5 trillion we owe would, if it were piled up in £1 coins, stretch from here to the moon and back twenty-five times, or some such. And every aspect of our lives we are going to have to feel a little pain in the next few years if we are to pay off that debt, rather than sticking our heads in the sand, hoping that somehow or another it will go away, and leaving it to our children and children’s children to sort out, as the current Government seem to be doing. Or at least perhaps they’re just leaving it to someone else to clear up the mess - classic scorched earth tactics.

So as we come to the end of term and head off for the welcome Christmas break, let us take time to celebrate the excellence of the education our schools in this area provide. Let us thank the teachers, governors and other school staff who do such an outstanding job, and are more deserving than most of the break. But let us also be ready to realise that Santa Claus doesn’t bring our public funds - that can come from one place only, namely your and my taxes. And without being too scrooge-like about it, let us be ready to realise that some tough times lie ahead, and be ready to tighten our belts just a little bit.

Tags: