OVER 35 years I have taught in Herefordshire secondary schools under both Tory and Labour governments. There has always been more money for pupils under Labour and better relationships with teaching staff. My children attended local state schools.

The two most significant changes that I have observed over my career are the fragmentation of the schools system and the rise in stress levels of teachers. The two are interrelated. League tables started setting school against school, and after a period of encouraged collaboration under the last Labour government, the process has gathered pace with enforced academisation and the virtual ending of local authorities as facilitators, providers of central services and of democratic oversight.

Teacher stress levels have rocketed as schools are one Ofsted inspection away from failure. Teachers are under huge pressure from management to fulfil impossible workloads of preparation, marking, testing and record keeping. Even the Tories are concerned about the level of teacher burn-out and of recruitment and retention levels nationally.

The recent standstill budgets are causing problems, particularly as the so-called ‘free schools’ are expensively funded from them. Hereford’s ‘free school’ cost several million pounds and has very few students whilst there are surplus places in other local secondary schools.

Some of Labour’s promises include increasing funding by at least the rate of inflation, including for the sixth form and FE sectors (which have suffered massive cuts under this government), ensuring primary classes are below 30 pupils and ending ‘free schools’.

We will introduce local authority commissioners to plan school places and make schools accountable. There will be a new emphasis on technical education and high level apprenticeships. Student tuition fees will be cut to £6,000 a year funded by limiting pension contribution tax reliefs to higher rate tax payers; a costed promise which will be delivered.