91Èȱ¬

Just 28% of people in England believe the Labour Government has delivered on Tony Blair's priority of "education, education, education" suggests a survey conducted for 91Èȱ¬ Two's Newsnight programme.

The results of the ComRes survey forms part of Labour's Children, a Newsnight special programme (91Èȱ¬ Two, 27 August at 10.30pm) examining the first children to be wholly educated under a Labour government as they receive their GCSE results.

The survey suggests just under two-thirds (60%) think Labour's education policies have failed to live up to expectation, while a third (34%) disagree.

The majority of those surveyed – 56% – disagree that Labour's management of the education system has given parents more choice regarding schools.

A third (35%) believe the Conservatives have the best education policies, a quarter (25%) Labour and 15% the Liberal Democrats.

Notes to Editors

Any use of information in this release must credit 91Èȱ¬ Two's Newsnight programme

Survey questions

Unweighted base – 850
Weighted base – 863

Q.1 Before becoming Prime Minister, Tony Blair said his priorities for office would be "education, education, education". Overall, do you feel the Labour Government have delivered on this?

Yes – 244 (28%)
No – 577 (67%)
Don't know – 43 (5%)

Q.2 Do you agree or disagree with these statements?

Labour have improved the overall quality of the education system since coming to power in 1997

Agree – 353 (41%)
Disagree – 451 (52%)
Don't know – 60 (7%)

Labour's education policies have failed to live up to expectations

Agree – 521 (60%)
Disagree – 292 (34%)
Don't know – 50 (6%)

State education is worse now than it was in 1997

Agree – 407 (47%)
Disagree – 374 (43%)
Don't know – 82 (10%)

State education is better now than it would have been if the Conservatives had been in power for the past 12 years

Agree – 333 (39%)
Disagree – 412 (48%)
Don't know – 118 (14%)

Q.3 In your opinion, has Labour's management of Britain's education system over the past 12 years achieved each of the following?

Made it harder for people from poorer backgrounds to gain a good education

Yes – 418 (48%)
No – 409 (47%)
Don't know – 36 (4%)

Given parents more choice regarding the schools they send their children too

Yes – 329 (38%)
No – 483 (56%)
Don't know – 51 (6%)

Used the investment it has made in education in the most effective way

Yes – 259 (30%)
No – 548 (63%)
Don't know – 57 (7%)

Created the right balance between central control over schools and local decision making

Yes – 275 (32%)
No – 513 (5 9%)
Don't know – 76 (9%)

Q.4 Which party do you think has the best policies on education?

Conservative – 305 (35%)
Labour – 216 (25%)
Lib Dem – 130 (15%)
Other – 23 (3%)
None of them – 54 (6%)
Don't know – 135 (16%)

ComRes telephoned a random sample of 850 adults in England on 21-23 August 2009. Data was weighted to be representative of all adults in England. ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules. Full tables at www.comres.co.uk.

PH