The Government last week

The Government last week described a six per cent spending rise a year over the next three years for education in England as 'investment and reform to education and skills on a scale unprecedented in a generation'. Education secretary Charles Clarke told the House of Commons that the spending rise would be matched with reforms to create 'a world-class system of education and training at all ages'. Among the reforms is increased funding through the standards grant to allow head teachers to bring in more and better-trained teaching assistants, which employers and unions would have to match with a commitment...