National Education Service
A National Education Service is a proposed government body in the United Kingdom, which the Labour Party had in there manifesto for the 2017 UK general election.
Scope
The National Education Service is being to ensure opportunities for life-long learning are available to meet both of the core aims of education: personal education and education for employment.
While early Labour Party statements have suggested that the NES would be "free at the point of use", as the details of the service are developed it is likely to that this statement will be taken to apply to what is identified as entitlement for all up to the age of 18 and that a variety of funding strategies will apply post-18. For example, where there are national priorities for retraining, such training could be free at the point of use by those who are retraining. Where post-18 education is for personal fulfilment rather than national skill shortages, a charge would be expected.
The labour party believes this is an example of how scholarships for post-18 education could be used to signal to prospective students what the national skill shortages are. In England, it is believed by labour,that the current approach to the school system means that government has limited options to ensure the curriculum offered to students post 16 meets national priorities.
In both university and school systems, it is believed by labour, an unforeseen consequence has been that the school and university leaders have managed to negotiate saleries which are considered high, which has led to publishing of salary league tables.
The education sector is divided into these phases.
- in early years child care
- schools (primary, secondary, special)
- higher education
- workplace and vocational training
- adult education
All phases are subject to quality assurance and monitoring through independent inspection through OFSTED or QAA, as they are currently for all phases with the exeption of workplace training.