Openly-gay Labour MP and education spokesman Stephen Twigg has said there should be an independent office to improve standards of education in the UK.
Twigg, who is an MP for Liverpool's West Derby, claims that the creation of a non-ministerial "Office for Educational Improvement" – which uses research and independent evidence – would be able to identify problems in the curriculum more effectively.
The comments come shortly after Education Secretary Michael Gove caused a mini-furore over the application of the Equaltiy Act to homosexuality in faith schools.
"My three priorities in education, are evidence, evidence, evidence," Twigg said in a speech, yesterday.
"Evidence is something that is shockingly undervalued when it comes to education reform."
Creating such a politically independent office would allow
education policy to be built on the most successful examples in other countries, rather
than local political ambitions, the BBC add.
"Too many of our educational cures are aimed at seeking sympathetic headlines," he says.
Twigg came to national prominence in 1997 by winning the seat of then-Defense Secretary Michael Portillo.
