Mili to focus on 'forgotten 50%'
Ed Miliband will use his keynote conference speech tomorrow (Tuesday) to unveil education and apprenticeship reforms aimed at helping the “forgotten 50 per cent” of British youngsters who don’t go to university.
In what aides are describing as his most ‘personal’ ever speech, the Labour leader will also draw on his upbringing as a pupil at a comprehensive school and the son of Jewish refugees.
Mr Miliband will declare that too long both major parties have focused too heavily on just those young people who go to university while ignoring the plight of the 50% who do not go on to higher education.
Among the key changes would be a requirement that all pupils and students study English and Maths to the age of 18 even if they are on a vocational course. A new ‘Tech Bacc’ or Technical Baccalaureate would be introduced.
In what he described as a radical shake-up of the education system, he will announce a Labour government would hand control of £1bn in skills funding to businesses to improve standards of apprenticeships and training.