Tesco boss Sir Terry Leahy slams country's schools

Oct 15 2009 by Nicola Juncar, The Journal

The boss of Britain’s biggest supermarket has slammed the “woeful” state of the country’s schools and said employers are being left to “pick up the pieces”. Education reporter NICOLA JUNCAR hears reaction to his comments in the North East.

WHEN Tesco boss Sir Terry Leahy slammed the state of the country’s schools, his words would have had more resonance than those of many other middle-aged business leaders.

Actively courted by Prime Minister Gordon Brown as a high-profile supporter, Sir Terry was until recently a Government adviser as a member of the National Council for Educational Excellence.

He left that body earlier this year, with his reasons for quitting perhaps becoming clear in a speech made to the Institute of Grocery Distribution’s annual conference.

“One area that Tesco is particularly concerned about is education,” he said.

“As the largest private employer in the country, we depend on high standards in our schools. As today’s schoolchildren are tomorrow’s team, they will be the ones we need to help build our business.

“Sadly, despite all the money that has been spent, standards are still woefully low in too many schools. Employers like us, and I suspect many of you, are often left to pick up the pieces.”

His words won immediate backing in the business community, with the CBI saying such fears were “widespread” and the North East Chamber of Commerce saying “more can be done” to turn out better school leavers.

But a leading headteacher in the North East has hit back by insisting that standards in schools both nationally and in the region are rising.

David Pearmain is headteacher at Newcastle’s Kenton School and represents heads across the region through his role as chairman of SCHOOLS North East.

He said: “Sir Terry’s comments about schools standards are unhelpful and untrue.