As the political parties gather for their annual conferences how

will their education policies shape up? In the first of three party `manifestos' Don Foster MP speaks for the Liberal Democrats.
The need to unlock Britain's potential
IBERAL DEMOCRATS believe that education is the key o surviving in an increasingly global market. No longer can we afford an education service designed, primarily, for the few; we need to unlock the potential of all the people of this country.
Our vision requires investment. Investment in nursery education, investment in books and equipment, in the fabric of schools and in developing opportunities in further, higher and adult education.
While such investment is vital and Liberal Democrats are committed to raising the level of taxation to pay for it if necessary it is not enough.
Until recently the concept of co-operation and partnership stood at the heart of education. Constant Government reforms have done much to undermine that partnership. In its place have emerged chaos, division and an increasing reliance on market forces.
Liberal Democrats do not accept that there can be an effective education service with 24,000 "quasi-independent" schools all vying with each other in the market place, and we have consistently opposed the growing centralisation of power.
We would restore the LEAschool partnership but without creating a new County or. City Hall empire. An 'enabling' authority with three principle functions strategic planning, monitoring of standards and arbitration of disputes would liberate local energies and skills and meet local interests and needs. All grant-maintained schools would be returned to these new LEAs and those that were Voluntary Aided including Catholic ones would be restored to their original status.
But as well as destroying partnership, this Government has created unity. Unity against crude and simplistic tests, against meaningless league tables and against the bureaucracy and increased workload for hard-pressed teachers. a
The Liberal Democrat alternative is clear.
Instead of the current tests, National Records of Achievement would record the progress of all pupils at every stage and would provide information to parents in place of the discredited league tables.
Instead of the over-prescriptive and overloaded National Curriculum, we propose a Minimum Curriculum Entitlement, giving more flexibility to schools and allowing teachers more time to teach; Sir Ron Dearing's work is to be welcomed but we believe that there is still some way to go, particularly in the development of a coherent 14-19 curriculum which gives academic and vocational elements parity of esteem.
And instead of undervaluing teachers, as this Government had done, we would create a General Teaching Council to reverse the decline in morale and the undermining of the professionalism of teachers.
We will strive to replace inadequacy with investment and competition with co-operation. Liberal Democrats know that education is an essential investment and that the cost of providing poor education is ultimately higher than that of providing a first class education system for all.
Don Foster MP is the Liberal Democrat Education spokesman.