What role can schools play in supporting social cohesion? Do teachers have the skills and which other professionals could/should be located in schools?
How can schools foster and sustain positive attitudes to learning? How can families be encouraged to value education and support young people?
How should we recruit, train and support new entrants to the teaching profession? What is the future for university and employment based routes?
What does the consumer and local community want from their education providers, both formal and informal?
What are the key purposes of an education system in the 21st century? What should the state and the individual spend on education?
What makes effective pre-school and early years education? How should providers work with, and for families, particularly those who experience disadvantage?
What should be in the National Curriculum for the compulsory school years? Should national tests and examinations be age-related?
How can the vocational/academic divide be challenged? How are we preparing the future workforce for the skills needed in a global economy?
How can we 'close the achievement gap'? What does the formal education system mean by 'inclusion'?
What should we plan for in 'building schools for the future'? What do families, especially those who experience social and economic disadvantage, want from 'extended schools'?
What are the implications for professional training and development, given significant workforce remodelling across the education sectors?
Why are we obsessed with testing and targets? Does the examination system (a) challenge the more able and (b) unintentionally reinforce failure?
Are systems of governance in education appropriate? Does inspection make a difference? Are we over-regulated?
How should we harness the power of the media and information technology in learning and teaching, both at home and in institutions?
Is adult and continuing education demand or producer-led? What programmes for lifelong learning do adults require?
How do we achieve world-class universities in the UK? Is a university education worth up to 50% of the population getting into debt?
What should different sectors and providers of education learn from one another, nationally and internationally?
For more detailed information about the current focus for our policy team please contact
Key policy areas NET will focus on include: