Education, Heartbeat of a Nation - Policy Network

21st Century Public Services – David MilibandTo be on the left in the 21st century isto stand for a modern and expansivevision of citizenship – a vision ofhuman cooperation to meet thechallenges of interdependence.In the UK, the desire to give modernmeaning to the word citizenship runsthrough the heart of the Government’sambitions for the country. We arecommitted to giving new meaning tothe notion of economic citizenship, byIf public servicesare soul of a nation,then education isits heartbeat.building a more inclusive marketeconomy, where more people benefitfrom economic growth. We know thatsocial citizenship in a multicultural,multi–faith society can only be built onthe basis of a clear social contract ofrights and duties; citizenship is aboutwhat we hold in common, whateverour differences. We believe that in aninterdependent world, our citizenshipand solidarity must stretch acrossborders, notably across Europe wherewe are committed partners in theEuropean Union, but also across theAtlantic and more widely to tacklepressing issues of development andenvironmental sustainability.The Public Service EthicAt the heart of this vision are publicservices. The reasoning is simple.Services provided by the communityfor the community, when they are ofhigh quality, can deliver opportunityand security, both at the core of fullcitizenship.There is an ethic of public service. Ithelps define our values as a society:cooperation as well as competition,selflessness as well as self-interest. Itexplains why ordinary people doextraordinary deeds, day-in and dayoutin education, social services,health care. It is the ethic of publicservice that holds countries together.Public service unifies when theeconomy can divide; public serviceasserts values when the talk is ofprices; public service is about ‘us’when too often the talk is about ‘I’.I believe that education has a specialplace. If public services are the soul ofa nation, then education is itsheartbeat.Education cannot solve every problem– from employment to crime to healthto social tolerance. But without aneffective education system, above allfor children but also for adults, we willsolve none of these problems.Classrooms are the place where wedecide our economic and social future– how much we earn, how we live, howwe get on. Schools are where wedelineate our values, fosterresponsibility, and build inclusivecommunities.So much so obvious. Our challenge isto design and deliver education in atime of rapid economic, social andpolitical change. Vital to this isschooling for young people.Schooling from the BottomUpThe demands on young people arechanging. A modern productiveeconomy cannot afford to leave themajority behind. A modern societyneeds every member of the first genomegeneration to play his or her part in acomplex and knowledge-rich society.20 progressive politics vol 2.1