News
Secretary of State for Education sets out the Government's plans to reform schools
5 Oct 2010
Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Education, today told the Conservative party conference in Birmingham that the coalition government is the party of higher educational standards.
Setting out plans to radically overhaul the schools system to reduce, from 800, the number of primary schools where 50% of children leave without the required levels in reading and writing, Mr Gove said that the curriculum would return to focus on basics.
This will include, English courses including classic works of English literature such as Austen, Dickens and Hardy and exams in all subjects containing marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar. This is in addition to the reading test at age six already announced by the Coalition.
Mr Gove announced these plans as part of a blueprint which the coalition hopes will help reduce the attainment gap between rich and poor.
Read Michael Gove’s full speech
