Northern Powerhouse will ‘splutter and die’ if education in the North is not excellent, says Ofsted Chief
Sir Michael Wilshaw raised concerns, during an IPPR conference, about the Northern Powerhouse crashing if the declining secondary school performance is not tackled.
Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector brought up examples from Manchester, Liverpool and many of their surrounding towns, stating that too many of the schools in the area are inadequate or require improvement: “Manchester and Liverpool are at the core of our ambitions for a Northern Powerhouse. They are the engines that could transform the prospects of the entire region. But as far as secondary education is concerned they are not firing on all cylinders. In fact they seem to be going into reverse”.
He called on all those with “power and influence” to make a real difference in galvanising change and supporting much needed improvements.
“I am calling on local politicians, be they mayors, council leaders or cabinet members, to stand up and be counted, to shoulder responsibility for their local schools, to challenge and support them regardless of whether they are academies or not. I’m calling on them to be visible, high-profile figures that people can recognize as education champions. I am calling on them to make education in general – and their underperforming secondary schools in particular – a central target of their strategy for growth.” His full speech is available here.
Shadow Education Secretary Lucy Powell echoed Sir Michael’s comments in an opinion piece for the Guardian, saying that areas in the North that need immediate improvement are “crying out for local leadership”. She calls for a better joined-up and strategic approach to school improvement and local oversight which will have the dramatic impact that is required to improve the life chances of young people in these parts. You can read “You can’t build a northern powerhouse if you undermine the local schools” here.
Sir Michael Wilshaw will be vacating his role as Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector next January, after five years.
Further reading: