The Election And Your Children. Parentdish's Quick Guide

The Election And Your Children. Parentdish's Quick Guide
SALFORD, ENGLAND - APRIL 2: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO MERCHANDISING. NO ARCHIVE AFTER MAY 02, 2015) In this handout provided by ITV, (L-R): Labour leader Ed Miliband, Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood, Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon and British Prime Minister and Conservative leader David Cameron take part in the ITV Leaders' Debate 2015 at MediaCityUK studios on April 2, 2015 in Salford, England. Tonight sees a televised leaders election debate between the seven political party leaders. The debate will be the only time that David Cameron and Ed Miliband will face each other before polling day on May 7th. (Photo by Ken McKay/ITV via Getty Images)
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SALFORD, ENGLAND - APRIL 2: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO MERCHANDISING. NO ARCHIVE AFTER MAY 02, 2015) In this handout provided by ITV, (L-R): Labour leader Ed Miliband, Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood, Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon and British Prime Minister and Conservative leader David Cameron take part in the ITV Leaders' Debate 2015 at MediaCityUK studios on April 2, 2015 in Salford, England. Tonight sees a televised leaders election debate between the seven political party leaders. The debate will be the only time that David Cameron and Ed Miliband will face each other before polling day on May 7th. (Photo by Ken McKay/ITV via Getty Images)

They can't vote, but there's no doubt that the result of the General Election will affect your children.

But what are the main parties' policy differences when it comes to kids and parenting issues?

Here we take a look at the most eye-catching policies of the main parties...

CONSERVATIVES

Guarantee 30 hours of free childcare a week for three and four year-olds from 2017.

Protect spending per pupil in English schools.

Turn every failing and "coasting" secondary school into an academy.

Create free schools for parents who want them, with 500 more by 2020.

Make children resit SATs upon arrival at secondary school if they have not reached the required standards.

Require secondary school pupils to take GCSEs in English, maths, science, a language and history or geography, with Ofsted unable to award its highest ratings to schools that refuse to teach these core subjects.

Lift the cap on university places.

Tuition fees to remain at £9000.

Create three million apprenticeships.

LABOUR

Double paternity leave to four weeks, increasing the amount of pay from £140 to more than £260. Recruit 3,000 more midwives. One-to-one care by a midwife during labour and birth.

Free childcare up to 25 hours per week for working parents of three and four year olds.

Legal requirement for wrap around care from 8am to 6pm through local primary school with after school clubs and activities.

Child benefit rises would be capped at 1 of school leavers going to university.

Support Free Schools.

Existing schools allowed to apply to become grammar schools.

Schools investigated by OFSTED on the presentation of a petition to the Department for Education signed by 25;display:block;}

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