Education policies 'should be simplified'

The government should limit the number of education policies under implementation at any one time, education workers have claimed.

According to the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), ministers should remove an existing policy whenever they seek to implement a new one.

General secretary Dr John Dunford believes that ministers and civil servants should set out a framework for education policy rather than attempting to "describe every detail".

"The role of education policy is not to micromanage, but to create a climate in which leaders and teachers can thrive," he told attendees at the association's annual conference today.

"No policy should be introduced without a reality check on implementation. No policy should be introduced without examining its effect on other policies. And no policy should be introduced unless another one is removed," he told the conference.

Leaders are also concerned about the new 14-19 specialised diplomas, which the general secretary said were too complex and "an expensive option".

In order for them to be a success, the ASCL believes they must be offered by both maintained and independent schools and recognised by all universities.

The new diplomas are part of a massive overhaul of England's exam system, but education secretary Alan Johnson has warned the ASCL conference that the reform could go "horribly wrong" unless the diplomas are seen to have the same status as GSCEs and A-levels.