The Shadow Education Secretary said: “Blowing open the curriculum and assessment review once again creates more confusion for schools and risks undermining the consensus on the importance of a knowledge-rich curriculum.
“Opening the door to inclusions over exclusions would be a disaster and a completely misguided policy. Discipline is one of the biggest issues facing schools, and whilst exclusions are always a last resort, they must remain an option for serious misbehaviour.
“We’ve seen what happened in Scotland where they have pursued inclusion policies and violence has risen. Labour need to get their head out of the sand and follow the evidence when it comes to standards and behaviour.”
Responding to accusations the inclusion of oracy would effectively be a “dumbing down” of the education system, Ms Powell told The Times: “The only thing being dumbed down here is the expectation that children from ordinary backgrounds should settle for less.
“For years many of the country’s most privileged pupils have benefited from debating, public speaking and presentation skills because everyone recognises these open doors in later life.
“Every child deserves those opportunities [so they can] make their case and succeed in work and life.”