Whether you left school with no GCSEs or 10, your ability to pay or your willingness to take on debt will not determine whether you get the education you need.
In the last eight years, the number of adults achieving a qualification in English and maths has fallen by 40%. This isn’t their fault. We will ensure every adult is supported to re-enter education, and we will give them the chance to gain the basic qualifications they need, whether that’s at level 1, GCSE or through functional skills, so that nobody is locked out of work or other opportunities because they did not succeed in education the first time. And if they don’t already have them, we will provide the funding for everyone to access A-levels, T-levels, or NVQs, whatever level 3 qualification is right for them. These are vital skills, necessary for working people across the country. But we cannot let this be the limit of our ambition. Our goal is a high skill, high wage economy fit for the challenges of the future.
Under the Tories, people are trapped in a low skill, low wage economy, unable to make ends meet. Addressing this challenge requires a revolution in our education system. Not more warm words about parity of esteem, or platitudes about matching the performance of Germany. We cannot simply pretend that we can copy a country with a society, economy and education system vastly different to our own. What we require is far bolder than an attempt to imitate our European partners. That is why the next Labour government will deliver the most radical expansion of adult education in our country’s history.
As part of the next Labour government’s national education service we will throw open the door to retraining, upskilling and lifelong learning.
