Despite generous investment, and despite children starting school young and spending long days learning. Britain, as studies keep on showing, lags behind when it comes to education. That’s why the idea of creating a voucher system, in which schools compete for pupils and the funds that come with them, has proved attractive to people from both sides of the political spectrum.
Supporters of vouchers say that they are a radical measure which will raise academic standards, provide parents with a better choice of where to send their kids, and, crucially, empower the poor. However, the idea has plenty of detractors, who question what would happen to failing schools, and where the government would find the funds.
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