Good to see that the forum posts about the general election on this site haven't been about personalities but have been about issues - Homelessness or Health thinngs of genuine concern not just tribal party support ... or criticism.

I'd like to add another isse to the discussion - Education.

The National Union of Teachers have published a Manifesto called Stand Up for Education in which they urge voters to support a part at the election who will:

“... tackle child poverty and create a flexible and inclusive curriculum that benefits all. The practice of employing unqualified teachers in free schools and academies needs to stop. All children deserve to be taught by qualified teachers.

“The school place crisis must be addressed by returning the responsibility for schools to their local authorities, not a remote Secretary of State. “Education must not be run for profit and we need to stop the fracturing of the school system through the free school and academies programme.

“Teaching needs to be an attractive profession. Teacher morale is at a dangerously low ebb. Changes to pay, pensions and a working week of 60 hours are driving many out of the classroom. According to Ofsted, two in five teachers are leaving the profession within the first five years. This is unsustainable‎.

“In the run up to the 2015 General Election politicians cannot afford to ignore parents and teachers‎. It is time they listened. Through our manifesto for education and the Stand up for Education campaign ‎we will ensure they do.”

Manifesto is available at the NUT webite