IF EVER educators needed confirmation of how out of touch the Department for Education is with the reality of education in Britain, then the recent schools white paper would surely be it. 

Sadly, it’s not surprising that the white paper falls far short in terms of any promising changes to education policy, nor does it offer any significant additional funding. 

The plan comes with a pledge of £5 billion, which is far short of what is needed to address the serious shortfalls in education funding and is only a third of the recommended figure for education recovery from recovery tsar Kevan Collins.

What is also infuriating is that the white paper, taken at face value, would lead one to believe that it is educators and parents who are failing our children. 

Given that the Conservatives have been in power for over a decade and in that time, education has been hit by funding cuts which have decimated budgets, the reality is that if they are looking for shortcomings, then they really should look closer to home. 

Nor does it acknowledge that many of the children who are “falling behind” live in poverty which is compounded by the austerity measures they themselves have implemented.

The paper has nothing valuable to say nor does it offer any innovative solutions to the current issues within education, one of its biggest headline-grabbing proposals being the promise of a 32.5 hour week, which most schools already meet. 

It offers up pearls of wisdom such as “schools will identify children who need help … and keep parents informed about their child’s progress,” which will be a revelation to all in education with teachers wondering why they hadn’t thought of this already. 

Of course, educators already know and do this, what prevents schools from implementing the additional support each child needs is the lack of funding available, long waiting lists for referrals and delays in obtaining additional support for those children who most need it.

The white paper also confirms the government’s sustained and misguided drive for forced academisation of schools and the channelling of more taxpayer’s money into the hands of greedy CEOs, with the bold claim that “by 2030, all children will benefit from being taught in a family of schools, with their school in a strong multiacademy trust or with plans to join or form one.” 

It backs up this claim using flawed data. The National Education Union has done its own calculations and found that the statistics used are misleading and false, and that the data shows that maintained schools are more likely to improve their Ofsted rating than sponsor-led academies.

The paper also mentions a target to ensure that 90 per cent of children leaving primary school in England are reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths by 2030, the same tests which create a huge burden on schools and pupils and cause unnecessary anxiety and stress. 

This yet again shows the Tories’ obsession with data and accountability. The fact that they continue to focus on SATs, which are so damaging to pupils, rather than listening to educators and working on a real alternative to assessment speaks volumes. 

It’s no wonder that there is a recruitment crisis within education. The publication of this white paper should have been an opportunity for the government to show that it values education and educators and to offer real changes that will impact their workload. 

But it misses the mark by a long shot, offering up more regulation and scrutiny and, while it tries to entice new teachers into the profession by offering a “competitive starting salary,” it does nothing to recognise or retain the current workforce of experienced educators who continue to leave in droves.

So, despite all the noise from the government about investing in education, these plans will barely scratch the surface of the funding crisis which schools and colleges have faced over the past 12 years. 

The only way to truly value education and educators is to invest properly in the whole of the education system and provide a level of funding which would allow educators to deliver a “world-class” education.

Here’s a radical thought: instead of education policy being written by bureaucrats and politicians, let’s have education policy that is written by those who work in education, who know the needs of their students and are facing the realities of strained budgets because of the Tories’ continued cuts to education.

What the government should be doing is listening to educators and finding innovative solutions to the challenges that schools and colleges are facing right now. 

Instead they continue to focus on their narrow agenda of statutory testing, accountability driven by Ofsted and a one-size-fits all approach to learning which is outdated and damaging to children. 

Lucy Coleman is chair of NEU Left.