:00:22. > :00:33.APPLAUSE. And this will of course improve and
:00:34. > :00:39.strengthen already often very good relations with local arts projects
:00:40. > :00:43.and arts centres, we will bring our children of understanding that arts
:00:44. > :00:48.for all, not just the few. And yet, while all this is happening, funding
:00:49. > :00:51.for our children's education is being cut. Multinational
:00:52. > :00:56.corporations have received multi-billion pound tax giveaways.
:00:57. > :00:59.How can it be right that money is being siphoned straight out of our
:01:00. > :01:07.schools and directly into the pockets of the super rich? Sadly,
:01:08. > :01:12.that often ends up in tax havens. Let's make it very clear once and
:01:13. > :01:15.for all, enough is enough. Throughout this election campaign,
:01:16. > :01:20.we will be making absolutely clear our commitment to build a country
:01:21. > :01:25.for the many, not just the few. A vital part of this will be creating
:01:26. > :01:30.an education system that provides for every child, every child,
:01:31. > :01:36.regardless of their background or parents' income. So we will
:01:37. > :01:40.introduce a national education service, ensuring excellent learning
:01:41. > :01:45.opportunities for all, from early years right through to adult
:01:46. > :01:49.education. What we need now, what you, as teaching professionals, need
:01:50. > :01:54.now are concrete answers and concrete solutions to the problems
:01:55. > :01:58.that our education system is facing. That is why Labour set out a plan to
:01:59. > :02:04.give every young person the best possible start in life by
:02:05. > :02:08.introducing universally free school meals for pupils in all primary
:02:09. > :02:12.schools. It is a policy that is fully costed and paid for by
:02:13. > :02:20.introducing VAT on Private school fees. It is clear...
:02:21. > :02:27.APPLAUSE. As you all know, there are clear
:02:28. > :02:31.educational benefits to drinking enough water to be able to get
:02:32. > :02:38.through a speech! And not dehydrate yourself as the day goes on! But you
:02:39. > :02:44.know very well there are clear educational benefits to universal
:02:45. > :02:48.school meals. It boosts the attainment level, boosts the
:02:49. > :02:53.concentration level of our children and, in those early formative years,
:02:54. > :02:57.the most important time in a child's life, I think we have a duty to
:02:58. > :03:03.provide for our children but also children in school together, it is a
:03:04. > :03:05.short period, but eating together, they understand each other much
:03:06. > :03:10.better and remember those moments for the rest of their lives and I am
:03:11. > :03:16.determined to introduce this policy. We care for the many, not just the
:03:17. > :03:19.few. Every child, and healthy and nutritious meal, boosts
:03:20. > :03:23.productivity, helps their well-being, no matter what their
:03:24. > :03:27.background. A great start in life, I believe. Not only will the policy
:03:28. > :03:29.help children throughout their time in education, it will also help
:03:30. > :03:42.teachers, because you will see improvements
:03:43. > :03:45.coming through in their attainment in the classroom, and it will help
:03:46. > :03:48.parents who will not only save money but have peace of mind in knowing
:03:49. > :03:50.their child is getting a healthy school meals during the day. Too
:03:51. > :03:53.many teachers, you know this as well as I do, dip into their own pockets,
:03:54. > :03:57.their own wallets, to help children out, day in, day out. It is not
:03:58. > :04:00.necessary, it is wrong. We have to ensure all our children get enough
:04:01. > :04:08.to eat. How can they learn if they are not eating properly?
:04:09. > :04:13.APPLAUSE. But if we place the value of our
:04:14. > :04:17.children, as we do, we must also place a value on teachers, head
:04:18. > :04:22.teachers and old school staff, teaching assistants and all of the
:04:23. > :04:27.support staff in schools. We must put an end, and I never indulge in
:04:28. > :04:33.it, to the continual attacks on the teaching profession. We have to end
:04:34. > :04:37.the downward pressure on pay and conditions, the constant undermining
:04:38. > :04:41.of morale, and the erosion of standards that means we have more
:04:42. > :04:45.and more unqualified teachers than ever in our classrooms. That is why,
:04:46. > :04:49.as part of the comprehensive programme Labour has set out today
:04:50. > :04:54.to strengthen rights at work and end the race to the bottom in the jobs
:04:55. > :04:56.market, we have confirmed that a Labour Government will lift the cap
:04:57. > :05:09.on public sector pay. APPLAUSE.
:05:10. > :05:18.It cannot be right that those who provide vital public services have
:05:19. > :05:23.had their pay is squeezed year after year. Our public service employees
:05:24. > :05:28.deserve a pay rise. And we must give the teaching profession the
:05:29. > :05:33.recognition it deserves. Not only in terms of pay, but also in terms of
:05:34. > :05:36.status in our society. We need to listen to you, the teaching
:05:37. > :05:42.professionals, on how you believe schools can be improved, and respect
:05:43. > :05:47.the huge wealth of talent and knowledge that lies in the teaching
:05:48. > :05:50.profession as a whole. I've always believed that the people who know
:05:51. > :05:56.how to do with job best are those that do it day in, day out,
:05:57. > :06:00.listening to parents, teachers, head teachers. You are the people who
:06:01. > :06:04.know how schools should be run, you are the people who best understand
:06:05. > :06:10.the needs of our children. That is why we have taken our lead from the
:06:11. > :06:15.union and from the other teachers' unions as well, when we set out in
:06:16. > :06:18.no uncertain terms our opposition to the expansion of grammar schools in
:06:19. > :06:30.this country. APPLAUSE.
:06:31. > :06:37.Not only does the mass introduction of what would become a form of
:06:38. > :06:42.segregation in our education system not help the overwhelming majority
:06:43. > :06:46.of this country's children, it also returns as to what frankly our
:06:47. > :06:51.Victorian notions of education based on a very narrow curriculum. The
:06:52. > :06:54.task is clear, we must build an education system that suit the needs
:06:55. > :06:58.of our children and the opportunities they will have in the
:06:59. > :07:03.jobs market of tomorrow. If we are to build an economy worthy of the
:07:04. > :07:09.21st-century, we need a school system that looks forward, really
:07:10. > :07:13.forward, and not to what I believe our failed models of the past. We
:07:14. > :07:18.must recognise that every child, every single child in this country,
:07:19. > :07:22.has talent, and every single child deserves the chance to flourish and
:07:23. > :07:27.drive to their maximum potential in whatever field suits them best. But
:07:28. > :07:35.our schools do not exist in a vacuum. I am always in awe of local
:07:36. > :07:40.headteachers I work with, like thousands of children I have learned
:07:41. > :07:44.so much from them. I have been a constituency MP in an inner-city
:07:45. > :07:50.area for a very long time. What I admire most is their commitment. Not
:07:51. > :07:53.just to managing their schools and educating our children, but all the
:07:54. > :08:00.many multifaceted demands of the children in their community. Housing
:08:01. > :08:05.issues, immigration problems, mental health. You, as headteachers, are
:08:06. > :08:08.absolutely the heart of the community, and you have great
:08:09. > :08:13.respect from those people whose children go to the schools and who
:08:14. > :08:17.live in those communities. You are part of a wider care system and you
:08:18. > :08:23.need the other part of that system to work effectively alongside you.
:08:24. > :08:27.Youth services, the National Health Service, and our very stretched
:08:28. > :08:30.social care system. Support for schools by these services is
:08:31. > :08:42.essential to promote pupil well-being. The
:08:43. > :08:46.duty to directly address pupils' mental health needs ultimately rests
:08:47. > :08:48.with social and care services. No schools should be asked to fund
:08:49. > :08:50.health and social services from the school budget. That is why we pledge
:08:51. > :08:54.to address the chronic underfunding for social care and the National
:08:55. > :08:57.Health Service. As you all know, schools are most effective as places
:08:58. > :09:02.of learning when they worked together with high-quality social
:09:03. > :09:07.care and health services to meet the needs of all students, particularly
:09:08. > :09:12.those who are the most vulnerable. One in ten children and young people
:09:13. > :09:17.in this country suffer from mental health conditions. And 75% of adult
:09:18. > :09:30.mental health problems are bound to begin before the age of 18. We must
:09:31. > :09:33.prioritise the mental well-being of our children. That is the very least
:09:34. > :09:36.they deserve. It is vital that we enable early intervention and
:09:37. > :09:42.provide support when problems first emerge. But to do this we must build
:09:43. > :09:47.an education system that integrates health and social. Improving the way
:09:48. > :09:53.our society deals with mental health is a particular concern of mine,
:09:54. > :09:57.because I am passionate to see opportunities for all. I am
:09:58. > :10:01.passionate that we will end the stigma surrounding mental health and
:10:02. > :10:03.deal with it with real parity of esteem with physical help within our
:10:04. > :10:13.society. APPLAUSE.
:10:14. > :10:19.That is why I have been so impressed by the work many of you do for
:10:20. > :10:21.children with special needs, and how special needs coordinators can
:10:22. > :10:28.liberate children for what has sometimes been a of exclusion. They
:10:29. > :10:34.do a brilliant job. That focus on the individual child is what drives
:10:35. > :10:40.our determination to reduce class sizes. We know that half a million
:10:41. > :10:45.children have been landed in super-sized classes of 31 or more.
:10:46. > :10:49.The Government is failing on education on its own terms. The
:10:50. > :10:54.Prime Minister herself has said super-sized classes are proof of a
:10:55. > :11:00.school system in crisis, so then why is it allowed to continue? Why are
:11:01. > :11:09.our children schools not getting the funding that they deserve? This is a
:11:10. > :11:12.choice, and it is the wrong choice. To cut school funding is in breach
:11:13. > :11:14.of the manifesto on which her Government was elected, when they
:11:15. > :11:18.said they would protect school funding. Labour will ensure that
:11:19. > :11:23.schools have the resources they need. I cannot give you a sneak
:11:24. > :11:29.preview of the full manifesto today, it is not even in my pocket. I'm
:11:30. > :11:36.afraid you have to wait for that. But be assured, if it is a choice
:11:37. > :11:39.between a tax giveaway to the largest corporations paying the
:11:40. > :11:44.lowest rates of tax in the developed world and pledged to go even lower,
:11:45. > :11:47.or funding of our schools, our choice will be very, very different
:11:48. > :11:48.from the choice that has been made up to now.
:11:49. > :12:02.APPLAUSE. We have all ready started to set
:12:03. > :12:06.some out, not just our free school meals policy and our commitment to
:12:07. > :12:11.reintroduce the educational maintenance allowance for college
:12:12. > :12:15.students from low-income families. We are also committed to restoring
:12:16. > :12:21.maintenance grants for university students so no one is held back from
:12:22. > :12:25.realising their ambitions so that every schoolchild knows that the
:12:26. > :12:33.options of further and higher education are available to them. We
:12:34. > :12:39.must not be ashamed to value education for education's own sake.
:12:40. > :12:45.Schools should exist to get the best for my children, to give them the
:12:46. > :12:49.best start in life, to enable them to succeed in which other walk of
:12:50. > :12:53.life they choose. Whereas the government has repeatedly cut
:12:54. > :12:56.resources and staffing, we will invest in our children's future
:12:57. > :13:01.because they deserve nothing less. The excuses from government come
:13:02. > :13:06.thick and fast, they blame teachers were not working hard enough, they
:13:07. > :13:13.diverted funds to their vanity projects, 138 and a half million
:13:14. > :13:17.wasted on schools that are partially closed or never opened. We will not
:13:18. > :13:22.bring back a system that blames children and parents for not passing
:13:23. > :13:26.the 11 plus. They blame everyone else to divert attention from their
:13:27. > :13:32.own failures. They need headteachers to tell them own up, as you often do
:13:33. > :13:46.to own pupils, own up, take responsibility and say sorry.
:13:47. > :13:52.APPLAUSE Come on, you have all done that to
:13:53. > :13:55.your pupils. Labour will give schools the funding our children
:13:56. > :14:00.deserve, the funding that teachers and head teachers deserve and the
:14:01. > :14:08.investment our country and our economy deserves. This election can
:14:09. > :14:15.be the chance for a fresh start. I want to lead a Labour government
:14:16. > :14:18.that will invest coming best to create shared prosperity, protect
:14:19. > :14:25.our public services, and build a much fairer country. The government
:14:26. > :14:31.will work with you, give schools the funding they need and ensure you and
:14:32. > :14:38.your staff get the respect and the resources you need. We, all of us,
:14:39. > :14:45.have a duty to our children. All of us. To all of the children and we
:14:46. > :14:49.will meet that duty and deliver for our children. Thank you very much
:14:50. > :15:21.for inviting me today. APPLAUSE
:15:22. > :16:07.A wonderful crowd, welcome to Tim. Ed and I are coming back... And what
:16:08. > :16:13.I hear on the doorsteps and I have done a lot for ready is that phrase,
:16:14. > :16:21.welcome back and what we are seeing Krmas of upsurge in membership, in
:16:22. > :16:25.support, enthusiasm more than last time and all the momentum now is
:16:26. > :16:26.with us. You may remember two years ago