According to the Conservative Party website the Conservative Party will try to achieve the following if they gain power at the 2010 general election:

In our open and dynamic world, people’s horizons are broader, their ambitions are greater, and they expect to be able to make more and more decisions for themselves. Advancing opportunity means shifting power from the state to individuals and civic institutions, in order to open up this new world of freedom to everyone.

Education is the key to opportunity and social mobility, making it a Conservative priority. We will deliver more teaching by ability in schools and revolutionise apprenticeships to open up avenues of aspiration for the next generation.

RAISING THE BAR, CLOSING THE GAP – OUR ACTION PLAN TO RAISE SCHOOL STANDARDS
We will address the educational underperformance which blights our nation’s future through a long-term, supply side-revolution, along with a number of immediate measures.

The immediate actions include:

* Improving discipline and behaviour in schools by shifting the balance of power in every classroom back in favour of the teacher
* Delivering more teaching by ability which stretches the strongest and nurtures the weakest

The long-term, supply-side revolution will involve:

* Over 220,000 new school places being created
* Freeing up the system whereby new schools are established, to allow charities, livery companies, existing school federations, not-for-profit trusts, co-operatives and groups of parents to set up new schools in the state sector
* Diverting more resources to pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds

BUILDING SKILLS, TRANSFORMING LIVES – A TRAINING AND APPRENTICESHIPS REVOLUTION
The system of training in the UK is stuck in the past – and as a result, over three-quarters of a million young people are not in any kind of education, employment, or training.

We propose a revolution in skills and training, with:

A massive expansion in the provision of real apprenticeships

* Measures to make it easier for companies to run apprenticeships
* Creating 100,000 additional apprenticeships every year with a £775 million injection of funds
* A £2,000 bonus for each apprenticeship at a small or medium-sized enterprise

More community learning to improve skills and employability

* A £100 million NEETs fund aimed at youngsters not in any kind of education, training or employment
* A £100 million injection into the adult community Learning Fund

Supply-side reform to set further education fund

* Freeing Further Education colleges from unnecessary bureaucracy
* Allowing new providers to enter the sector

A revolution in careers advice

* Providing a careers adviser in every secondary school and college in the country
* Creating a new all-age careers advice service

Conservative Party Advancing Opportunity Policy :http://www.conservatives.com/Policy/Opportunity_Agenda.aspx

I would be interested to hear both positive and negative views on Conservative’s Advancing Opportunity policies in the comments below?