Education Bill — 4 Dec 2001 at 21:40

I beg to move, That the Bill be now read a Second time.

It is pleasing that the Second Reading of a Bill that continues our challenge to raise standards takes place on the same day that the United Kingdom achieved its best ever performance on international comparisons of achievement for 15-year-olds. I know that the whole House will congratulate our teachers and young students, who, in the words of The Sun, showed:

I beg to move, To leave out from 'That' to the end of the Question, and to add instead thereof:

'this House, whilst supporting the principle that schools should be given greater freedom to use innovative methods to deliver improvements in standards, declines to give a Second Reading to the Education Bill because it contains nothing that will help schools solve real problems such as falling standards of discipline and the teacher crisis; gives even more power to the Secretary of State instead of devolving power down to schools and head teachers; effectively ends any kind of local democratic control of schools; and because it adds new tiers of bureaucracy to the organisation of education, increasing still further the already overwhelming bureaucratic burden on teachers.'

Question put, That the amendment be made:-

The House divided: Ayes 188, Noes 325.

Debate in Parliament | Historical Hansard | Source |