Brown endorses Blair's school reforms

Brown endorses Blair's school reforms

	Published : Tue, 24 Jan 2006 20:15 By : Phil Bateman Print this Story

LONDON - The Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown last night endorsed Prime Minister Tony Blair's education reforms and warned that opponents were putting the growth of the economy at risk by not supporting them.

"I cannot be stronger about the importance I attach to this reform program and the link between education and the economy," Brown told The Sun in an interview. "As Chancellor I know the next stage of our economy depends on the highest standards of education in our schools, colleges and university." He said that he was of the belief that dissenting Labour MPs would see sense once they were apprised of the indelible link between education and economy.

"Tony Blair and I are working on this together; I will see people personally and will be talking to them. No country in the modern world can be first in business if it is second in education," the chancellor stressed. He said that for long Britain had been content to be "second best" as far as education system was concerned. Brown said that “reform, reform, reform” would be his agenda.

Lord Kinnock, Labour leader himself once and famous for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory in a general election and deputy Prime Minister John Prescott have criticized the schools reform policy by saying, "If you set up a school and it becomes a good school, the danger is everyone wants to go there.'' Commenting on their stand, Brown said, “The decision about the education Bill will be taken in the House of Commons, not the House of Lords.”

A Commons education select committee will release a report on the whole issue next week and this could determine the fate of the ambitious reforms. While the Tories are said to be supportive, Blair is battling his own MPs on the issue and want him to tone down the reforms. Trade and Industry Secretary Alan Johnson indicated yesterday that the reforms would indeed be toned down a bit and some concessions would be put in place to pacify Labour rebels.