Portrait of Theresa May
Politician · policy
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Theresa May on Education

Meritocracy Advocate (strong)

TL;DR

Theresa May champions education reform focused on meritocracy, skills, and diverse post-16 pathways for all backgrounds.

Key Points

  • She launched a major and wide-ranging review into post-18 education and funding, chaired by Philip Augar, on 19 February 2018.

  • She was a passionate advocate for Free Schools, viewing their expansion as a primary driver of diversity and progress in the school system.

  • In a March 2017 article, she stated the Spring Budget would include funding to support the creation of up to 140 new Free Schools.

Summary

Theresa May has positioned her approach to education around the central mission of making Britain a 'Great Meritocracy', ensuring that the chances a child has in life are not determined by their background or where they live. A key element of her strategy involved significant reform of post-16 education and training to provide greater parity and focus on technical and vocational skills alongside academic routes. She initiated a wide-ranging review into post-18 education and funding, chaired by Philip Augar, to address how future students would contribute to costs while ensuring value for money and supporting a diverse sector that serves economic needs.

Her educational vision included a drive to increase the capacity and diversity of the school system through policies such as the expansion of Free Schools, which she had long advocated for as a Shadow Education Secretary. Furthermore, she aimed to tackle social inequity by ensuring financial barriers, such as travel costs to selective schools, were removed for disadvantaged pupils. Her focus was consistently on creating an education system at all levels that meets the needs of every child, whether through academic excellence or practical, vocational skills, to equip the nation for a post-EU future.

Key Quotes

...the rules must be enforced. Students, yes. Over-stayers, no. And the universities must make this happen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Theresa May's stance on education is strongly focused on creating a 'Great Meritocracy' where every child receives the right education for their needs, regardless of background. She prioritised structural reforms in both schools and post-16 provision to boost technical skills alongside academic attainment.

Theresa May announced a comprehensive review into post-18 education and funding in February 2018, seeking value for money from students and taxpayers. She discounted returning to a fully taxpayer-funded system but aimed to improve choices in technical and academic routes.

Yes, she noted that the existing funding system enabled the government to lift the cap on the number of university places available. She believed that sharing the cost between taxpayers and graduates was a fair principle that allowed this expansion.