National Policy Forum - Your Southeast CLP representatives

January 2006 report

Like all policy commissions, the Education and Skills Commission has agreed a work programme that sets out the key policy issues for consultation over the year ahead and identifies some of the topical issues and challenges facing the party in government. The programme was reviewed at the first meeting of the NPF in Nottingham in January, and the Commission will now start work on the programme.

Education – Involving the Community

Obviously the top priority of the Commission is to stimulate debate on the Education White Paper and synthesise the input from party members. If you or your CLP have any comments on the White Paper, please send them to us.

The Education Policy Commission is now starting to produce a document for debate by the party. This year we will be working on special educational needs, skills and lifelong learning, childcare, healthy schools and school sport, and staying-on rates. If you know of any interesting visits the Commission can make to see good practice locally then please get in touch.
One new element of the Forum meeting at Nottingham was the introduction of a session with community leaders, who also sat in with us to discuss a wide range of issues with Tony Blair after his speech. Our Nottingham base gave East Midlands the chance to set the scene.

The education session included a number of heads and leaders from local schools. Forum members were able to explore the ideas in the White Paper and measure their own opinions against those of people on the front line of providing education.

The attitude, ideas and enthusiasm of these leaders were nothing short of inspirational, and the session was a success. The Education policy Commission will follow up with a visit to one or more groups of schools as a result of this highly successful meeting.

The clear priority of the Forum this year is to encourage more "Big Conversation" style consultations around the country with party members meeting with local interested groups on topics of interest, like governors and teachers on education or health and social care professionals on health policy, or even local businesses on the economy