Try GOLD - Free
Starmer urged to honour pledge on oracy in schools
The Guardian
|July 23, 2025
The children's writer Michael Rosen, the former political strategist Alastair Campbell and the former education secretaries Charles Clarke and Estelle Morris have urged the prime minister to honour his pre-election pledge to embed speaking skills in England's schools.
They are among 60 signatories to an open letter to Keir Starmer, calling on him to establish oracy as a core part of Labour's revised national curriculum and make it the fourth 'R' in education, alongside reading, writing, and arithmetic.
Labour announced in 2023 that teaching oracy – often defined as developing skill in using spoken language – would be a central part of Labour's educational priorities if it won the next election.
However, campaigners have said the promise was not mentioned in the interim report of the government's curriculum and assessment review this year, leading to fears that oracy may have slipped down the educational agenda. The full report is due this year.
This story is from the July 23, 2025 edition of The Guardian.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM The Guardian
The Guardian
Macclesfield’s McLeod dies in car accident
The Macclesfield forward Ethan McLeod has died in a car accident.
1 mins
December 18, 2025
The Guardian
Meta sued over suicide of sextortion victim, 16
The parents of a 16-year-old who took his own life after falling victim to a sextortion gang on Instagram are suing Meta for the alleged wrongful death, in the first UK case of its kind.
3 mins
December 18, 2025
The Guardian
Gambling trap Illicit sites target addicts who are attempting to quit
The Long family are facing up to their second Christmas without their eldest son.
5 mins
December 18, 2025
The Guardian
Arbitration service offers to step in to break deadlock in doctors' strike
The conciliation service Acas has offered to help to try to break the deadlock in the resident doctors' strike in England.
2 mins
December 18, 2025
The Guardian
Par for the course? Why Ryder Cup hero McIlroy may miss Spoty cut once again
It has been a 2025 for the ages for Rory McIlroy. He cemented his legacy by completing a career grand slam with victory at the Masters.
3 mins
December 18, 2025
The Guardian
Leftwinger expelled by Labour to lead UK's largest trade union
The UK's largest trade union, Unison, is on a potential collision course with Labour after it ousted a leader with close links to Keir Starmer in favour of a leftwinger who was expelled from the party three years ago.
1 mins
December 18, 2025
The Guardian
Russia targeting European finance bosses and politicians over assets
Belgian politicians and senior finance executives have been subject to a campaign of intimidation orchestrated by Kremlin intelligence aimed at persuading the country to block the use of €185bn of frozen Russian assets for Ukraine, according to European intelligence agencies. Security officials indicated to the Guardian that there had been deliberate targeting of key figures at Brussels-based Euroclear, the securities depository holding the majority of Russia's frozen assets, and leaders of the country.
3 mins
December 18, 2025
The Guardian
The ‘winter’ crisis that never stops A day in the life of a Midlands hospital
Thirteen ambulances are lined up at the rear of the emergency department of the Royal Stoke university hospital as Dr AnnMarie Morris, the hospital trust's deputy medical director, walks towards the entrance, squinting in the low afternoon sun.
6 mins
December 18, 2025
The Guardian
'It should be better than that' England weigh up complaint after Snicko error spares Carey
England are considering a formal complaint over the Snicko technology being used in this Ashes series after Alex Carey received a lifeline en route to a telling century on the opening day of the third Test.
2 mins
December 18, 2025
The Guardian
Trump trade deals 'built on sand', say senior MPs
Ministers and senior MPs said yesterday the UK's agreements with Donald Trump were \"built on sand\" after the Guardian established that the deal to avoid drug tariffs had no underlying text beyond limited headline terms.
4 mins
December 18, 2025
Listen
Translate
Change font size