Primary schools standards not good enough

11.03.00am GMT Wed 2nd Dec 2009

Lib Dem Leader Nick Clegg talking to young children when he visited Chelmsford

Today's league table results for primary schools in Chelmsford, along with the rest of Britain, reveal more about the government's failing policies on education for young people.

Commenting on the results, Stephen Robinson, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Chelmsford said: "As in every other town in the country, Chelmsford's teachers are hampered by layers of red tape and paperwork. This leaves little room for teachers to use innovative methods of teaching appropriate to their particular class of children.

"As an inevitable consequence, overall standards in our primary schools are now showing signs of slipping backwards. It is very worrying that the number of schools in which the majority of pupils left without achieving expected levels of progress has actually risen. 

"Labour's approach of trying to micro-manage the education system is holding schools back and preventing them from getting the best from all their pupils.

"Instead of more gimmicks and bureaucracy, the Government needs to invest extra cash in our schools so they can cut class sizes and run catch-up lessons for all those children who are struggling."