improve or close down, schools told

[chemical-licker]

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/pressass/20071031...-6323e80_1.html

Gordon Brown is threatening hundreds of schools with closure if they fail to meet targets on GCSE pass rates.

In the first major education speech of his premiership, Mr Brown will say that every school must ensure that at least 30% of their pupils achieve five higher-grade passes within six years.

The Prime Minister will also announce apprenticeship credits of up to £15,000 for those who take up training positions with employers at 18.

He will set out his ambition for Britain to have the best teachers in the world within a generation and say parents are vital to raising attainment.

Mr Brown will urge councils to intervene in schools where fewer than three in 10 leavers have five A-C grade GCSEs, including maths and English.

Some 670 were failing to meet that standard in 2005/06, but Mr Brown will insist there must be none by 2012/13.

"In 2005-06 this figure was 670. Now we want to get it to zero by 2012-13," he will say.

Local authorities will be told to use the powers available to them, including switching schools to academy status, bringing in private support or closing them down altogether.

There will be a new focus on recruiting "the brightest and the best" to the teaching profession and nurturing career development.

But Mr Brown will say that the single biggest factor in children's performance at school is parental involvement and interest.

FEAR ME im mr gordon brown the prime minister.

do you think the government are losing their grip on reality?

[SnakeProphet]

I doubt it. Nothing serious will come of it, it's just a hyperbolic threat to get them going, which isn't that bad of an idea. Gordon Brown isn't one to suffer from hybris I'd say.

[Moon Monkey]

"EDUCATION, EDUCATION, EDUCATION !!!" T.Blair/G.Brown 1997

[stevewinn]

Gordon Brown loves setting these targets, so these schools that get closed down where do all the pupils go, The Labour Government hasnt a clue what its doing, personally i dont think you can set targets for schools, you have to let kids learn subjects because they find them interesting. not because the school needs to hit targets, when i was in school and doing my GCSE's we didnt learn subjects properly we was just learning how to pass the test,

This takes the p***, credits of up to £15,000 for those who take up Apprentice training positions with employers at 18, most companies wont offer young people apprenticeships and why should they, if they can employ a fully qualified work from europe who is willing to work for the minimum wage, Gordon Brown has a bad case of the tail wagging the dog, 10 years of Labour and we're still in sh** street,

[Unlimited]

I like brown he seems to care...at least your leader cares about schools and his country...we need a 100 billion dollars to repair our dams...they are ready to fall....our schools are dropout factories..our bridges and infrastructure need about a 150 billion dollar upgrade...and every cent instead..goes to Iraq..

[stevewinn]

I like brown he seems to care...at least your leader cares about schools and his country...we need a 100 billion dollars to repair our dams...they are ready to fall....our schools are dropout factories..our bridges and infrastructure need about a 150 billion dollar upgrade...and every cent instead..goes to Iraq..

I dont like Brown, hes going to be voted out in 2 years, Brown is a gobsh**e instead of tackling a problem with actions he just throws money at problems crosses his fingers, lights a candle (in church) and hopes it all turns out well, great example, > Truancy in England has not fallen even though £885m has been spent on boosting attendance, an auditors' report says. solution, bring back the old school board, if a child doesnt turn up to school the school board call at that childs home to see why the child has not attended, If there isnt a good enough reason for the child to be absent from school, then parents get fined, and if the problem continues the child will be taken to a boarding school, £885 million. what a waste,