Education is back at the top of the political agenda - and that's because it's in a mess. Parents are worried about unemployment; employers say the school leavers don't have what it takes. The Government is responding by giving parents more power and by introducing a national programme of technical and vocational teaching. But critics say such measures don't add up to a policy. What's needed is a national strategy for state secondary education to replace the piecemeal remedies and underfunded initiatives.
Chris Patten, MP, Education Minister, joins Peter Taylor in the studio to face the Brass Tacks audience.
BBC Manchester