Traveling around East Staffordshire and visiting our schools, I have met some of the brightest and most ambitious children, and I think we should be hugely proud of them.  Yet I also know that many children and parents  are faced with real challenges when they try to get the education or training that they need, thanks to this Labour government's inability to deliver on its promises.

Giving our children the best start in life is hugely important.  A Conservative government will:

• Create 10,000 extra university places in 2010.
• Set up technical Academies across England such as the JCB Academy in Rocester, and fund 400,000 new apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, college and other training places over two years - paid for as part of our plans to Get Britain Working.
• Free schools from red tape so that they can offer workplace training that engages young people who currently drift out of formal education.
• Break down barriers to create a new generation of good small schools with high standards of discipline.
• Reform the National Curriculum and ensure that the primary curriculum is organised around subjects like Maths, Science and History. We will encourage setting so those who are struggling get extra help.
• Undertake a massive expansion in the provision of real apprenticeships, creating 100,000 additional apprenticeships and training places every year, and making it easier for companies to run apprenticeships;

Generate more community learning to improve skills and employability, including a NEETs Fund aimed at youngsters not in any kind of education, training or employment, and a Community Learning Fund to help older workers develop new skills.