Conservative reforms built a world-class education system. Labour must not dismantle it for ideological reasons
4 min read
Britain should be unashamedly proud of its education system, of the teachers who deliver it and of the fact that our children are world leaders in reading, writing and mathematics.
Conservative reforms built that legacy, and it is precisely the dismantling of that we are now trying to stop. Not because we are tribally protective but because our reforms focused on giving parents choice, our teachers freedom and our children the best chance in life. These are all the things Labour is trying to take away.
The roll call of people educated in Britain since 1945 is testament to that extraordinary legacy. Stephen Hawking transformed our understanding of the universe. Tim Berners-Lee changed how humanity communicates. Sir David Attenborough has inspired generations to understand and protect the natural environment. Margaret Thatcher became Britain’s first female prime minister. They are just a handful of the millions whose education in Britain has equipped them to make an impact far beyond our shores. Many Commonwealth countries developed universities modelled on British institutions, while today the British government estimates that school curricula inspired by the British system account for more than 40 per cent of international school offerings worldwide.
This is a legacy we should be proud of and wholeheartedly embrace. That pride cannot become complacency. Conservatives believe in maintaining high standards and reforming when the system falls short. That was the challenge taken on by Michael Gove when he became education secretary in 2010. His reforms were a decisive attempt to bring British education into the 21st century, restoring rigour to the curriculum, raising expectations and putting knowledge, discipline and academic excellence back at the centre of the school system. The September 2026 PISA results provide further validation of the strength of that approach, with the UK ranked among the world’s top 10 performing education systems. We should be proud of that record, while recognising there is always more to do.
For too long, educational debate had focused on structures and process at the expense of what children were being taught. Gove challenged that orthodoxy. Reforms to the national curriculum, GCSEs and A-levels sought greater academic depth, while phonics screening and renewed emphasis on literacy and numeracy put the fundamentals firmly back at the heart of schooling.
Under Laura Trott’s stewardship as shadow education secretary, our focus has been clear: higher standards, better behaviour and an education system that puts children first.
For too long, educational debate had focused on structures and process at the expense of what children were being taught
That means supporting teachers to maintain discipline, giving successful schools the freedom to thrive and ensuring parents have a meaningful voice in their children’s education. We must also defend reforms that have delivered results. Labour’s instinct to dismantle or undermine parts of a system that is working risks sacrificing hard-won progress for ideological change.
We should ask how we improve what works, not tear down successful reforms simply because they were introduced by a Conservative government. These steps forward did not happen by accident, they were led by carefully considered evidence; Labour should not rip these reforms up on the basis of ideology alone.
Protecting children today also means looking beyond the school gates. The smartphone and social media revolution has transformed childhood. That is why we have campaigned for a ban on social media for under-16s and stronger restrictions on phones in schools. Children deserve the freedom to learn without constant distraction and protection from harmful content online.
Our ambition is straightforward. Every child, whatever their background, should receive an excellent education and have the opportunity to succeed. We should preserve the rigour, ambition and academic excellence that made British education admired around the world, while continuing to reform it for the realities of the modern age.
That is the Conservative approach. We want high expectations, strong discipline, empowered schools and opportunity for every child. We will not stop fighting for these.
Saqib Bhatti is Conservative MP for Meriden and Solihull East, and shadow education minister
