It is becoming clear that the UK government would like to control every element of our lives. There is no doubt that there are some great ideas going on there in the various government departments. Ideas about better parenting, opportunities for children, the variety of education, the food that we all eat, our lifestyles and the amount of exercise we take, the way we live our lives as adults, the food and alcohol we consume, our moral lifestyles and the way we spend our money. The trouble is they are not happy with just offering up ideas and schemes, they are not happy with giving guidelines, making policies. No they want to tell us all how to live every aspect of our lives.

Over the 11 years of this Labour government, one which I might add I voted in on 3 occasions (I come from good old fashioned working class stock and was brought up that way), we in the world of health have got used to targets, measurement, league tables, more money, less money, more staff for the sake of getting more staff and recently getting rid of people for the sake of getting rid of them and saving money. Education also is heavily assessed, both in terms of the schools and colleges and of the individual children who do annual tests from the age of about 5.

At some point though, this over interference will backfire and maybe within the realm of education that day has come. Our children already receive an hours teaching each day in maths and english, then they need more PE, and cookery lessons so they don’t become obese and know the meaning of being healthy, there is science, learning how to be a fully paid up citizen and now today apparently 5 hours of culture including music, drama and visiting art galleries per week. The only way to fit all this in will soon to be to either extend the school day or send them to school from birth to 25. Or is that already happening since the government would like half of all 18 years olds to go to university.

I am all for a good all round education. It is quite right for the ministry of children and schools to set out the broad curriculum, but deciding what is to be taught how often and when from a government department is mad. I am not sorry that my son has just a year of school to go. What I do know is that his whole life is now one big essay (his words) as he prepares for AS and then A2 levels. What I also know is that my granny who thought labour would be the party to save us from the terrible world created by the previous conservative governments of Thatcher and Major would be spinning in her grave if her ashes weren’t buried under a rose bush in my parents garden!