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The UK government's efforts to improve educational standards have focused very strongly on teaching. However, this may be a misguided approach, as it overlooks learning, which is not the same as teaching. No attention has been given to the factors that influence learning and thus how learning can be improved. Learning can only be really effective if students are actively involved. They must be able to assess themselves and understand how to improve, and teaching must be sufficiently flexible to take account of the results of assessment.

The key to achieving higher educational standards in the UK is ensuring that all children benefit from being taught by teachers who care about their subject and about their pupils as individuals. It is vital that the UK has more good classroom teachers, as well as good headteachers. More schools must achieve high standards, as this will boost the standing of the teaching profession and encourage graduates to take up a career in teaching.

There are serious problems with the UK government's methods for measuring value-added among secondary schools. The Dept for Education and Employment's measure will give only an approximate indication of value-added, and in the case of GCSE results will not show the progress of each pupil. It is now time to move to a system of detailed pupil-level data, as this would make it possible to monitor how the education system is performing on a national level.

The UK government identified 101 schools in Nov 2000 as facing closure unless their examination results improved, with at least 15% of pupils achieving a minimum of five GCSE passes at grades A-C. In summer 2001, at least 38 of these schools have still failed to reach this target, with at least four having closed and several more being relaunched under new names. Head teachers feel that these targets do not take account of the challenges their schools face.

There must be closer collaboration between schools of different standards, according to UK Minister of State for School Standards Stephen Timms. He also feels that schools should work more closely with further education colleges.

Efforts to improve standards at schools in Leicester, England, are discussed. The city had 15 schools officially designated as failing in 1998, but now only has two.

An assessment of the UK government's education policies since 1997 is presented. It is suggested that progress has been made towards improving standards throughout education, but that relations with teachers need to be improved.

The participation of Henry Compton School in London, England, in the government's Excellence in Cities programme is discussed. The first stage in improving standards at the school was the appointment of a learning mentor.

Research indicates that the UK's smaller primary schools generally perform better than their larger counterparts. However, the future of small schools remains uncertain, even though the government has stated that it is committed to village schools unless there are very strong arguments in favour of closing them. Mixed views have been expressed about the reasons for the success of smaller schools. Social class may be one explanation, but very small class sizes could also be a significant factor.

Many UK teachers believe that the publication of league tables indicating the performance of 11-year-olds in mathematics, English and science does not give an accurate view of standards in primary schools. Pupil numbers in primary schools tend to be small, and this means that an individual school's ranking in the league tables can be significantly affected by the absence of only a few pupils while testing is taking place. Furthermore, the league tables do not take account of the schools' different intakes.

Placing stronger emphasis on professionalism will play a key role in improving standards among the UK's teachers. Positive results are already being seen from a number of initiatives designed to boost professionalism, including new standards for the award of Qualified Teacher Status. It is also important to ensure that there is continued debate about pedagogy. Teachers are the key to boosting pupil performance, and it is therefore necessary to constantly review teaching approaches.

The UK's teachers initially had high expectations of the Labour government elected in May 1997. However, education ministers have so far shown a negative attitude towards teachers. They have called on teachers to raise their expectations of pupils, but have shown low expectations of teachers themselves. The teaching profession was demoralized before the Labour party came to power, and this situation has been made worse by the fact that government ministers continue to use negative rhetoric.

The GCSE exam, introduced in the UK in 1988, was designed to move away from the academic emphasis of O-levels and to assess skills as well as knowledge. It has been widely claimed that GCSEs are easier than O-levels were, and some observers feel that there is now too large a gap between GCSEs and A-levels. However, others believe that GCSEs genuinely test understanding and that they also have the advantage of bringing average and below average children into the educational mainstream.

The UK government believes that specialist schools can overcome the problem of over-subscribed popular schools, which represent the biggest obstacle to parental choice. Specialist schools ensure that demand is more evenly spread, as parents choose schools according to their child's particular abilities. However, parents themselves do not seem to want specialist schools. They are most keen to obtain a good all-round education for their child, and believe that 11 is too young for most children to be specializing.

The UK Audit Commission has drawn attention to the fact that schools in some of the country's wealthiest counties are not performing as well as they could be, given the background of their pupils. Chris Woodhead, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools, believes that local education authorities in these counties should now be challenged to improve their performance, rather than just being content with average results. Some observers are taking issue with the Audit Commission and Chris Woodhead, pointing out that using free school meals as an indicator of deprivation is not reliable.

There has been very strong emphasis on improving students' performance in GCSE examinations at Angley School in Cranbrook, England. In 1997, the school came fourth in a league table of most improved state schools in the UK, with the percentage of students achieving five A to C grades at GCSE rising to 52%. Staff use a wide range of motivational techniques to ensure that students perform to the best of their ability. The schools uses an appraisal system to allow it to predict GCSE performance.

Parents who raise concerns about their child's educational achievements may find that teachers are reluctant to accept any responsibility for underachievement or any criticism of their methods. In some cases, teachers' accounts of what is taking place in the classroom differ considerably from those of the child who is underachieving. It is true that children may sometimes gain incorrect impressions, but there are also cases where teachers try to cover up for their mistakes and poor performance.

It is becoming increasingly clear that different ethnic groups derive very different benefits from the UK education system. African-Caribbean children perform considerably above the local education authority average at entry level, but have fallen below the average by GCSE level. The performance of Bangladeshi children improves over this period, but they remain below the average. Indian children begin below the average, but rise to 14% above the average by GCSE level. Some observers believe that only detailed monitoring will allow black students to achieve their full potential.

Greenhead Grammar School in Keighley, England, and Netherton Park family centre in Dudley, England, are both working towards the UK government's targets for boosting educational standards. At the former, pupils are now tested in English, maths and science at three different stages, and a projected GCSE or A-level target is set for each pupil in each subject. Making comparisons with similar schools has allowed whole-school targets to be set. At Netherton Park, a wide range of services is provided for pre-school children and their parents and carers.

The UK has performed well in a survey of 265,000 15-year-olds in 32 countries. This survey shows that educational standards in the UK are not as low as many people feared, but also indicates that there is still room for improvement.

All children have a right to a good education, and children should therefore be more involved, along with parents and the community, in shaping the inspection process in UK schools. Ofsted, the inspection body, will now extend the use of surveys so that children can present their views.

Standards in UK schools and universities have dropped, with many students gaining qualifications without demonstrating much real ability. However, gaining these qualifications gives young people opportunities to which they would not otherwise have had access.

The UK Labour party's efforts to improve educational standards are discussed. There have been improvements in primary schools, but problems persist in secondary schools.

Teachers must be challenged, but aggression must be avoided, according to new UK Chief Inspector of Schools Mike Tomlinson. He indicates that his goal is to ensure the best possible education for all children.

The UK government is developing more detailed national standards for boarding schools. These standards, which are currently in draft form, may lead to individual local authorities being stricter in some areas of inspection and less strict in others. They place emphasis on more detailed checking of all employees in boarding houses and on more child protection procedures. Boarding schools are investing heavily in modernization, but there are now only 72,000 boarders across the UK, from more than 100,000 in 1989.

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair is to appeal to teachers to accept a system of performance-related pay. This is a misguided approach, as many of the successes associated with teaching cannot be quantified according to a standardized system. Most teachers are opposed to performance-related pay, recognizing that it would expose them to a burden of constant re-assessment and meeting ever-changing targets. Teachers would have to devote far too much time to paperwork and not enough to actually teaching.

The UK government's policy of assessing schools and teachers by examination results has a number of negative consequences. This approach damages teacher morale, as well as limiting children's learning and hampering their creativity. Teachers have become very good at training children to perform well in examinations, but much less attention is now being given to fostering proper understanding. It is right that education is held to account, but achievements can be assessed without relying on examination results.

Those who fear that standards in UK universities may fall because the number of students being admitted is rising are misguided. It is important to ensure that as many young people as possible have the opportunity to achieve high educational standards and enter university. For the same reason, A-level examinations should not be made harder, as this would only benefit a very small minority of particularly able young people. All schools should have the freedom to assist their students in qualifying for post-school education and leading a fulfilled life.

A league table for British independent schools, showing how their students have performed in the GCSE examination, has been published, and shows that girls' schools have performed especially well. There are 15 girls' schools among the top 20 performers. Girls tend to perform better at this level than boys, while boys tend to perform better in the later' A-level examinations. There has been an increase in the percentage of candidates who have been awarded higher grades, and critics claim that this means that standards have been lowered, a claim rejected by a school head.

British head teachers may not fully understand the weaknesses of their schools, though they may have a clear idea of the schools' strengths, according to a survey by the Office of Standards in Education (Ofsted), the schools inspectorate. Schools have more evidence with which to make assessments of their own abilities, while the inspectorate is better able to make comparisons. There could be advantages from greater cooperation between schools and inspectors, which could mean that they could learn from each other.

It is a cause for concern that the UK government is using taxpayers' money to take action against low standards at the privately-run Summerhill School, which only educates a maximum of around 30 British pupils. Closing this school should not be a priority when standards in many state schools remain very low. In the same way, the dismantling of grant-maintained schools, the abolition of assisted places at private schools and the destruction of grammar schools should also not be priorities. The government should accept that the state school system is not yet ready for the dismantling of the last vestiges of selection.

It is clear that there is an urgent need for the UK to improve standards of academic and vocational achievement. Against this background, the exact nature of the government's education policy is not really significant, as long as it is really committed to this policy. Standards of literacy and numeracy must be raised, but this is only one of a large group of factors required for improved economic performance.

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair's plans to offer additional tuition for talented children fail to take into account the fact that all schools should be designed to meet all possible educational needs. It is important to recognize that there are many different academic requirements among any group of children. Schools should be improved for all pupils, rather than funds being directed towards specific groups. In any case, singling out talented pupils may be counter-productive, as these pupils may resent being seen as different from their peers.

UK Chief Inspector of Schools Chris Woodhead continues to attract considerable controversy. He is supported by politicians, who regard him as a strong force for improving educational standards, but is opposed by most teachers, who feel that he damages morale by criticizing schools for low standards and unproven teaching methods. He has gained detailed experience of the very centre of the educational establishment during his career, and it is this experience that forms the basis for his criticisms of schools.

The Ridings School near Halifax, England, has seen a very significant improvement in its performance, according to Ofsted inspectors. The school was shut down in 1996 following problems with truancy, poor discipline and low academic standards. There are now many lunchtime clubs and activities, and teaching in nine out of 10 lessons is satisfactory or better. Since its closure, the school has received investment of more than 1 million pounds sterling, and further investment is planned.

UK School Standards Minister Stephen Byers has stated that the 2,400 schools identified by school inspectors as having serious weaknesses must show significant improvements within a year if they are to avoid being designated as failing. Local authorities will be obliged to support these schools at an early stage, and will have the power to withdraw a school's right to manage its own budget. There are currently 600 schools designated as failing. These will be shut down if they do not improve within two years.

There has been a dramatic improvement at Phoenix High School in London, England, which in 1994 was regarded as the worst secondary school in the UK. At that time, discipline was extremely poor and academic achievement negligible. Now, the school has been redecorated, has an almost completely changed teaching team and a strict code of discipline. Under new head teacher William Atkinson, high teaching standards have been set and the proportion of pupils gaining good exam passes has trebled.

Many parents in the UK find it extremely difficult to get their children into good state schools locally. Some respond by moving house into the catchment area of a school with a good reputation. Others prefer to make their children travel a considerable distance to school. In some cases, parents are prepared to make significant financial sacrifices to have their children educated in local private schools. They often feel that a high quality state education is something to which their children should be entitled but are not receiving.

It will become increasingly important in the 21st century for the UK to produce people who are well-informed, numerate, highly literate and capable of constantly updating their knowledge. All pupils must receive a firm grounding in basic skills, but must also be encouraged to be innovative, use their creative abilities and tackle the responsibilities of leadership. Around 70% of jobs now involve intellectual skills, with less than 30% requiring manual skills. For this reason, the government is justified in placing very strong emphasis on basic educational skills.

UK Secretary of State for Education David Blunkett believes that it is very important to ensure that the general public is aware of schools which are failing to meet certain standards. He feels that naming such schools plays a key role in ensuring that their standards improve rapidly. There have been very mixed reactions from teachers and their unions to this policy. Some teachers feel that naming poor schools can greatly encourage them to improve, while others feel that doing so has a very negative impact on morale among staff, pupils and parents.

Summerhill School, England, has been criticised by school inspectors and told to improve numeracy and literacy standards or be removed from a government list of approved schools. This would lead to closure. The school was set up by A.S. Neill, an educationalist, and is 76 years old. The inspectors focused on the ability of children at given ages, but children at the school, which uses progressive methods, often catch up before they take their examinations at 16-years-old.

Summerhill is an experimental school in England which is threatened with effective closure if it does not meet government standards by spring 1998. The school was set up by A.S. Neill who believed in allowing children to learn when they wanted to do so, rather than forcing them. The children are allowed to make rules, and take this role seriously. There are many ex-pupils who have achieved success in conventional terms. The school is not subsidized and parents are not forced to send children there. The closure of the school would be a serious loss.

The work of teachers should be given greater recognition, according to UK Chief Inspector of Schools Chris Woodhead, who has in the past gained a reputation for being extremely critical of teachers. Nevertheless, he feels that poor teachers should be identified and removed from the profession as quickly as possible. He has announced plans for schools watchdog Ofsted to make changes to some of its procedures. This follows criticism that some inspectors did not give teachers enough information about their performance.

It is vital that the UK creates an educational system which constantly encourages schools to improve their standards. Progress has already been made in this direction through the introduction of league tables. However, there is a need to make changes to the way in which league tables present information and the sort of information they present. League tables must take account of children's capabilities, and must give a standardized measure of performance which does not allow schools to use the excuse that their intake is from a disadvantaged background.