UKIP Launches New Education Policy

mkpdavies · 12-08-2006, 12:46 PM

When you talk about a huge topic as a whole, you are bound to have some overlap with other parties ideas. Even the Tories have some that creep through from time to time. Cameron will bin most of them now though, so if they really are a good idea, we should pick em up.

Clippo · 12-08-2006, 01:03 PM

Could somebody in the know tell me who, (name names), actually created this as a policy. Did they consult UKIP membership? Was it from a UKIP representative group?

BASILDON BOY · 12-08-2006, 01:08 PM

At least its a start - we can boldly go out and tell parents we want to beat their kids in school but not tell them about the birds and the bees until they are 11 but only if the parents want them to attend! And they want to stop my kids from going to university by cutting the number of places!

...just like the tories!!!

Seriously well done - at least we have some policies at last - we really do need a question and answer pack for candidates/branch chairman - so that we have stock answers to hostile questions.

Such as - "You want Teachers to be able to beat my child..." "My kids want to go to University... Won't cutting back on the places make it more difficult...?" "Shouldnt we follow the Dutch model on sex education - they have amongst the lowest rate of teenage pregnancies in the EU?" "Havnt you just ripped off large chunks of the Tories 2005 General Election policy on Education?"

BASILDON BOY · 12-08-2006, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clippo

Could somebody in the know tell me who, (name names), actually created this as a policy. Did they consult UKIP membership? Was it from a UKIP representative group?

There is a list of names at the very last page of the policy document - Conservative Central Office is misisng though!

Acknowledgements

David Campbell-Bannerman
Derek Clark
Nigel Farage
John Harvey
David Lott
Duke Maskell
Adrian Muldrew
Rachel Oxley
John Petley
George Stride
John Whittaker
Chris Woodhead
Campaign for Real Education

BASILDON BOY · 12-08-2006, 01:19 PM

The real test is - does the media take it seriously - do we have a UKIP education spokesman who will be seen in the press talking about this new policy document - does it provoke a response from any of the main parties?

The worse thing to happen is if we are just ignored! Members up and down the country should be furiously writing letters on education matters and quoting the UKIP policy on this - I know I will!

Tom Wilde · 12-08-2006, 01:57 PM

So would the Chris Woodhead credited at the end of the policy document be the Chris Woodhead in this Wikipedia article, or is it just a coincidence of names?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Woodhead

Quote:

Christopher Woodhead (born 1947) was the Chief Inspector of Schools in England from 1994 until 2000 and is one of the most controversial figures in debates on the direction of British education policy.

(This is the start of a long article about his career).

A "controversial figure" and some teachers apparently loath him, but it sounds at least as if he has some experience in this area of policy-making!

Percy the Poodle · 12-08-2006, 03:06 PM

Both the press release and PDF refer to re-introducing student grants. Doh - we still have them - I'm getting one in September.

Research + UKIP = Non existent (again)

C_steam · 12-08-2006, 03:15 PM

Perhaps the point is that grants are not universally available.

Of course we should support people studying for degrees, but if them, why not others, FE as opposed to HE? Or mature students?

Percy the Poodle · 12-08-2006, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by C_steam

Perhaps the point is that grants are not universally available.

But the policy does not say this and anyone from another political party or the media is likely to pick up on this obvious error. You have to be more precise.

Further, the suggestion is that abscence of grants discourages poorer students. It is comparably pooere students who get the grants at the moment. So in reality the policy is about abolishing means testing not introducing grants.

BASILDON BOY · 12-08-2006, 03:47 PM

Every other political party - when it produces a policy document - has a list of hostile questions and how to answer them!

12-08-2006, 12:46 PM	#11 (permalink)
mkpdavies Uber Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Woking Posts: 31,053 Party: Libertarian Party	When you talk about a huge topic as a whole, you are bound to have some overlap with other parties ideas. Even the Tories have some that creep through from time to time. Cameron will bin most of them now though, so if they really are a good idea, we should pick em up. __________________ http://brits4ronpaul.blogspot.com/ http://wokinglibertarians.blogspot.com/ http://lpuk.org My ignore list Labour, Blue Labour, Lib Dems

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12-08-2006, 01:03 PM	#12 (permalink)
Clippo Uber Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Cheshire Posts: 2,264	Could somebody in the know tell me who, (name names), actually created this as a policy. Did they consult UKIP membership? Was it from a UKIP representative group?

12-08-2006, 01:08 PM	#13 (permalink)
BASILDON BOY Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: N'Djamena, Chad Posts: 1,819	At least its a start - we can boldly go out and tell parents we want to beat their kids in school but not tell them about the birds and the bees until they are 11 but only if the parents want them to attend! And they want to stop my kids from going to university by cutting the number of places! ...just like the tories!!! Seriously well done - at least we have some policies at last - we really do need a question and answer pack for candidates/branch chairman - so that we have stock answers to hostile questions. Such as - "You want Teachers to be able to beat my child..." "My kids want to go to University... Won't cutting back on the places make it more difficult...?" "Shouldnt we follow the Dutch model on sex education - they have amongst the lowest rate of teenage pregnancies in the EU?" "Havnt you just ripped off large chunks of the Tories 2005 General Election policy on Education?"

12-08-2006, 01:19 PM	#15 (permalink)
BASILDON BOY Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: N'Djamena, Chad Posts: 1,819	The real test is - does the media take it seriously - do we have a UKIP education spokesman who will be seen in the press talking about this new policy document - does it provoke a response from any of the main parties? The worse thing to happen is if we are just ignored! Members up and down the country should be furiously writing letters on education matters and quoting the UKIP policy on this - I know I will!

12-08-2006, 03:06 PM	#17 (permalink)
Percy the Poodle Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: East Devon Posts: 362	Both the press release and PDF refer to re-introducing student grants. Doh - we still have them - I'm getting one in September. Research + UKIP = Non existent (again)

12-08-2006, 03:15 PM	#18 (permalink)
C_steam Super Moderator Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Paddling up 5hit creek..... Posts: 7,788	Perhaps the point is that grants are not universally available. Of course we should support people studying for degrees, but if them, why not others, FE as opposed to HE? Or mature students?

12-08-2006, 03:47 PM	#20 (permalink)
BASILDON BOY Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: N'Djamena, Chad Posts: 1,819	Every other political party - when it produces a policy document - has a list of hostile questions and how to answer them!