ELECTION 2005: EDUCATION

In the last four years education in Worcestershire has moved into a position of strength.

GCSE pass rates are higher than ever, having increased at a faster rate than the national average.

The education authority is independently rated as excellent - with special praise for its political and professional leadership. Progress has also been made in pre-school provision with 96 per cent of three to six-year-olds taking up free nursery places.

New relationships have been built with parents and teachers of children with "special needs" and the youth service has progressed.

Seven new schools have been designed for Bromsgrove to replace old buildings and £160m committed for Wyre Forest.

A computerised "virtual workspace" is available for all young people in high schools and massive school capital improvements are being made throughout the county - including Worcester's Fairfield Centre.

Clearly a success story, even though Worcestershire is so poorly funded.

However, not to be complacent, young people of St John's, Worcester, deserve a better high school, which will be provided with the support of the community.

New provisions for children with special needs must be financially viable for generations to come.

Parents, if they wish, have increasing choice, with discrete learning provision developing in mainstream schools supported by the professional expertise of special needs staff.

Young people need real options in their learning skills, demanding close working with the College of Technology and University College Worcester.

This will build on Worcestershire's revolutionary new collegiate system bringing together our sixth forms for the breadth and extension of qualifications beyond the ability of individual schools.

Crucially, the expertise of heads and governors, support from parents and politicians for fairer funding and freedom from constantly increasing bureaucracy make Worcestershire a great place to bring up and educate children.

PETER PINFIELD, LABOUR GROUP LEADER

Our vision for Worcestershire is of a county where all its people will be able to acquire skills and knowledge and self esteem.

They need to allow them to be active citizens and achieve personal fulfilment. Learning will continue throughout life and be accessible to all.

Our funding base for education at all ages in the county is low compared to the national average and we will continue to work with our local MP's and Government to rectify this.

We will ensure educational standards are increased year on year and will meet all our laid down national targets.

There will be a detailed look at how the education department is run and improvements will be made in current consultation processes and the way the department and its staff communicate and engage with the public and councillors.

School meals will reflect a proper nutritional balance and within the four years all our schools will be providing a healthy balanced mid day meal option.

The early years development childcare partnerships will continue and be further enhanced to provide quality services in all early years and childcare settings, meeting both the care and educational needs of children.

Our Special Educational Needs policy will seek to provide inclusive education for children with moderate learning difficulties through bases attached to main stream schools. Special schools will continue to deliver a broad curriculum to children with more complex needs.

We will increase spending for youth work in line with the average spent by other councils over a four-year period.

We will encourage greater participation in learning - through sixth forms, further education, higher education and work based learning, including modern apprenticeships.

We want to reduce across the county the number of people who do not complete the training that they undertake. We will support further significant expansion of University College Worcester and its progression to full university status.

LIZ TUCKER, LIBERAL DEMOCRAT GROUP LEADER

Every day we all use the education service - our doctors and nurses, bank managers, shopkeepers, firemen and police and others were all educated in their local schools.

Worcestershire schools have not been getting their fair share of funding under Conservative or Labour governments; indeed we have been at the bottom of the league tables for funding for education for many years.

Liberal Democrats recognise the importance of education to the whole community as well as to the individual, which is why Liberal Democrat County Councillors have consistently fought for fairer funding for our children.

We believe that every child should have the very best start we can offer in their early years at schools with smaller class sizes for children under seven when individual help and understanding is so vital.

Small schools should be valued and Middle Schools retained where parents support them. What counts is the quality of education for each child and not grand dogma.

We believe that the requirements for "box ticking" and constant inspection should be drastically reduced. Teachers should be trusted to recognise how a child is progressing.

Parents of children with special needs deserve to know that their children are being taught in the most appropriate setting. Inclusion cannot be a cheap alternative to special schools.

We believe that there should be a climbing frame of learning whereby pupils aged 14+ are able to pick a combination of academic and skills based courses from a choice of schools and colleges, as recommended in the Tomlinson Report.

Funding for the Youth Service must be increased dramatically.

We have proved in Scotland, that it should not be necessary for students to pay tuition fees and top up fees. It should be every young person's right to follow a University education without fear of debt.

Education is our country's future. Liberal Democrats believe that every child has a right to receive the finest education that we are able to supply in the best environment possible.

HOWARD MARTIN, HEALTH CONCERN SECRETARY

We would like the next council administration to take a decision on whether there should be two or three-tier schools in the county, instead of adopting the current piece-meal approach.

There is no disagreement between the parties on getting better funding for county schools from Government - but we aren't singing from the same songsheet on how to achieve it.

The Wyre Forest transition to a two-tier system must be as smooth as possible.

However we aren't convinced the funding is there for new buildings and do not want to see any pre-determination in selecting new headteachers.

FRAN OBORSKI, LIBERAL PARTY LEADER

The Tory-controlled county council has become arrogant and dictatorial in its dealings with parents, teachers, governors and residents in recent schools reviews.

In the Hagley and Wyre Forest reviews the public consultation demonstrated a wish to retain the three-tier system.

Despite this, the Tory-controlled county council persisted in destroying superb middle schools.

In Wyre Forest they have also over-ruled the wishes of the public by closing highly successful, small, community based first schools.

Liberals are committed to consulting communities about education and to listening to them and acting on it.

He'll be chuffed to bits at Mary's train

WORCESTER City Liberal Democrat candidate Mary Dhonau will be hoping party leader Charles Kennedy's son is chuffed by her present - a toy train.

Mrs Dhonau, who is hoping to oust Labour MP Mike Foster from his seat, handed the miniature metal Donald Scottish twin character in the Thomas the Tank Engine train series to the leader's aides at a visit by deputy leader Sir Menzies Campbell to Malvern's Science Park yesterday.

Mr Kennedy's wife Sarah gave birth to Donald on Tuesday and Mr Kennedy was due to call in on the park, however Sir Menzies stepped in as the party leader was in London launching its manifesto.

Taylor the 'only one' to reply to pensioners

ONLY one General Election candidate in Worcestershire has responded to a pensioners' pressure group survey.

Dr Richard Taylor, the Independent Health Concern candidate in Wyre Forest, supported all of the National Pensioners Convention mini-manifesto.

The proposals include linking increases in the basic state pension to rises in average earnings and providing free long-term health care.

The group has sent the six-point plan to every candidate across the country but no other county candidates have responded.

In Herefordshire, only Labour candidates Paul Bell and Tom Calver - competing in Leominster and Hereford respectively - have taken part.