As election fever grips the nation and the 7th of May looms, thoughts turn to what the future holds for education.

Over the next few pages, we will look at the pre-manifestos offered by Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party and UKIP.

So, in no particular order…

Quick jump:   UKIP   Green Party   Labour   Conservatives   Liberal Democrats

The following information is taken from ‘What a UKIP Government will do: Policies for People’, and a speech given by UKIP’s education spokesman and deputy leader, Paul Nuttall MEP: ‘A Better Education System for a Better Britain’, UKIP Doncaster conference, 26th September 2014.

If elected, UKIP will:

• introduce an option for students to take an Apprenticeship Qualification instead of four non-core GCSEs, which can be continued at A-Level. Students can take up apprenticeships in jobs with certified professionals who are qualified to grade the progress of the student;
• remove tuition fees for students taking approved degrees in science, medicine, technology, engineering and maths, on the condition that they live, work and pay tax in the UK for five years after completing their degrees (subject to academic performance);
• scrap the target of 50% of school leavers going to university;
• ensure students from the EU pay the same student fees as international students;
• support the principle of Free Schools that are open to the whole community and that uphold British values;
• allow existing schools to apply to become grammar schools and select pupils according to ability and aptitude. Selection ages will be flexible and determined by the school, in consultation with the local authority;
• establish a system whereby schools are investigated by Ofsted on the presentation of a petition to the Department for Education signed by 25% of parents or governors.

Next Party:   Green Party

Do these policies cover everything you want to see?

If not, take a look at the alternative policies — these were provided by some of the country’s leading educationalists who work with Osiris Educational. We asked them what policies they would bring in if they were Education Secretary. The results are thought-provoking and centred upon what is best for the learning of all children.

Osiris Educational is a non-party political company and no bias or endorsement of any political party is implied. Research conducted January 2015 and correct at time of print. All the five main parties were contacted to offer them the chance to tell us about their education policies. Information presented here is either directly in response to this request or based on the information provided by the parties’ websites and documentation.