At a time of high unemployment and almost no growth, young people face huge challenges as they try to go on to higher education and employment.  Many of these young people are ambitious and have the talent to do great things, but they need the support to get there. 

Labour in government invested Some £300 million in our local schools and teachers to drive up education standards. Our Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programmes transformed many local schools which were in desperate need of repairs into modern and functional institutions.

When the Conservative-led Government threatened to terminate the BSF programme, I successfully campaigned with Jim Fitzpatrick, MP for Poplar and Limehouse, to ensure that schools in Tower Hamlets did not lose the BSF funding commited to under the previous Labour government. Schools that have benefited from the BSF funding include:

• Oakland’s School
• St Paul’s Way Trust School
• Sir John Cass
• Phoenix Schol
• Raines Foundation
• Langdon Park School
• Central Foundation Girls’ school
• Harpley School
• Swanlea Secondary College
• Morpeth Secondary School
• Ian Mikardo High School
• George Green Secondary School
• Bethnal Green Technology College (BGTC)

We can be proud of the fact that Tower Hamlets is the most improved local authority for educational attainment over the past decade,  and that the number of students passing five GCSEs has increased over the years. Working together, we can build on these achievements to ensure that there is proper support and training for our young people, and to help provide them with the skills and opportunities to succeed.   

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