The Department for Education has developed a “mindset” driven by schools minister Nick Gibb that has “got to be changed” under a new government, Lord Blunkett has warned.
Lord Blunkett, who was education and employment secretary under former prime minister Tony Blair from 1997 to 2001, was speaking at a Labour Party conference fringe event today on the future of skills and schools.
Last year, he produced a report for Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to help guide the party’s school policies.
Panellists at today’s event discussed how to build a more rounded education system that develops young people’s skills.
Asked what changes he would prioritise in order to make this happen, Lord Blunkett said: “I preface this by saying I don’t believe the Civil Service will be in any way politically obstructive to a new government.
“But after 14 years there’s a mindset in the DfE which I keep coming across all the time, and that mindset’s got to be changed, and the mindset’s been driven very substantially by Nick Gibb.
“We’ve got to stop going back to the 1950s and address the school of the 2050s.”
Mr Gibb, who has been schools minister for much of the period following the 2010 general election, is known for his strong focus on phonics, a knowledge-rich curriculum and traditional teaching methods.
‘Damaging’ policy ‘gimmicks’
Lord Blunkett said another change he would like to see would be to “liberate talent throughout the system”.
“People need to believe that they can take responsibility, that they can use their professional skills, that they can actually contribute to change rather than just going through the process and adhering to the system,” he said.
Also on the panel was Liz Robinson, chief executive of the Big Education multi-academy trust, who said it would be important for any new administration to avoid policy “gimmicks” that landed schools with more work.
She said: “Little gimmicky things are going to be really damaging because the school system is so fragile.”
Referring to Labour’s plan for teachers to supervise children’s toothbrushing, she said: “Teachers have not got a sense of humour, and leaders have not got a sense of humour, about doing more.”
‘Sophisticated thinking’
She welcomed Labour’s pledge to carry out a review of the school curriculum, saying she hoped it would produce “some really sophisticated and nuanced thinking about what we actually want schools…to do, and what we actually want the young people who come out of 14 years of statutory education to be like and be able to do”.
Big Education runs three academies including School 21, which was co-founded by Peter Hyman, who advised Tony Blair and now advises Sir Keir.
The DfE has been contacted for comment.
