ABSTRACT
All governments would like to maintain that their educational system is ‘world class’. The first thing that policy construction of a National Education Service needs to explore is a framework based on international evidence. That evidence shows the following: Comprehensive education, publicly provided, is the most effective and equitable way of enabling all children and young people to have access to high quality education. Many carry with them the emotional burden of children who suffer from a range of physical, emotional and family related stressors. In schools which cater to children with profound special needs and limited life expectancy, dealing with bereavement is a common factor in teachers’ lives. School funding should match, at least, that of the funding of the best performing countries such as Finland, where a cross party consensus has been achieved on the basic principles of educational provision. The school is structured in terms of designated leadership and management roles, through which the headteacher delegates responsibility.
