Ministers must usher in the era of capacity-building in education

They say it is a common flaw of generals that they spend too long preparing to fight the last war. We have seen this borne out in history, from the Maginot line to investment in Arctic specialisms long after the end of the cold war. Could it be true of education too?

The preferred tactics of government intervention in education for the last decade or so, regardless of the party in power, have been accountability and autonomy. OECD data suggest that, when used judiciously and in combination, these have their place. Yet these are not always the norm in other countries. 

There is always a risk, of course, that any policy pushed to extremes produces diminishing returns or even becomes counterproductive. We certainly have exceptional levels of autonomy and scrutiny by international standards; in recent years alone we have seen more detailed and harder edged league tables, new powers of intervention, and a higher bar and reduced notice in inspection.