General Election: Conservative manifesto pledges £14bn for schools and crackdown on youth violence
Fiona Simpson
Monday, November 25, 2019
Boris Johnson has pledged to invest £14bn into the education system and vowed to enforce tougher discipline in schools ahead of the general election.
Launching his party’s manifesto in Telford, Shropshire, on Monday, the Conservative leader said his government would ensure £5,000 for every secondary school student and £4,000 for every primary school student as part of a £150m-per-week investment.
He also vowed to create more school places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and build a £170m fund to support SEND pupils.
Alongside promises to raise teachers’ starting salaries to £30,000 and build more free schools, the Conservative leader delivered plans to crack down on poor behaviour and youth violence.
Johnson said he would “back heads to use powers of exclusion” and “expand ‘alternative provision’ schools for those who have been excluded”.
The manifesto reads: “Young people are less likely to get into trouble in a well-disciplined school, which is why we will back teachers to enforce discipline.”
As part of their policies on youth justice, the Conservatives pledged to plough £500m into youth services, saying: “We are investing £500m in youth services for young people.
“If they endanger others, we will put them in new alternative provision schools. If they are offenders, we are trialling Secure Schools.
“New laws will require schools, police, councils and health authorities to work together through Violence Reduction Units to prevent serious crime.”
Johnson also repeated previously announced plans to create a £1bn fund for childcare, including provisions for care before and after school and during the holidays for children of working parents.
“Wraparound” childcare would be offered to armed forces families, the manifesto says.
Post-16 education and training also featured heavily in the manifesto, with promises to create a new National Skills Fund worth £3bn and invest almost £2bn to upgrade the entire further education college estate.
Plans were also revealed to abolish employers’ National Insurance Contributions for under-21s and apprentices under 25 and provide free bus travel for under 25s.
