Grammar school proposals missing from Queen’s Speech
With the Conservatives losing their majority at the general election on 8 June, key education proposals were absent from the Queen’s Speech earlier this week.
In a toned down ceremony, the Queen’s speech – written by the government – made no mention of the expansion of selective education that the Conservative Party proposed prior to the election.
Also missing was the proposal to axe free school dinners for all five to seven year olds. The Conservatives had pledged to replace these with free breakfasts but backtracked when it was revealed that they had budgeted just 7p per meal.
One pledge that did make the cut was the delivery of fairer funding for schools. School funding was a major issue during the election campaign and the government received substantial criticism – including from SCHOOLS NorthEast – for their proposed national funding formula. It is unclear yet whether the government intends to continue with the formula as they had proposed, or indeed whether the schools budget would increase and by how much.
The Speech also contained commitments to ensuring “that every child has the opportunity to attend a good school” and “a major reform of technical education”. There was also a promise that the government “will reform mental health legislation and ensure that mental health is prioritised in the National Health Service in England”.