OUR local schools and colleges are hugely important.

The opportunities a good education can bring are transformational, and I have always been so impressed with the commitment and dedication of our teachers right across the constituency.

School visits and their trips to Westminster are always a highlight of my work as your MP.

On Thursday, I had the great pleasure to tour Okehampton College and answer questions from students.

I know the school well having served as a governor around 20 years ago.

Our conversation was thoughtful and wide-ranging, from transport links and apprenticeships to access to university and the future of rural high streets.

What struck me most was their ambition and social awareness, and how much they want to contribute to the future of their community.

Some of our conversation followed on from those I received when I met students who travelled to Parliament at the end of the last school term.

But alongside that energy, I know there are real concerns about the long-term sustainability of the sixth form.

For a rural town and its surrounding villages, local post-16 provision is essential.

Without it, many students would face long journeys, extra costs, and fewer choices around their future. So the visit allowed me to continue my discussions, in-person, with the Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust about the future of post-16 provision.

I was grateful for their reassurance that the school’s leadership is exploring every possible opportunity to continue to provide Key Stage Five education in Okehampton.

I made clear that I will continue to support Okehampton College and DMAT where I can, and I have written to ministers about the government's approach to support rural education.

More broadly, I have always been a strong advocate for improving school standards in Westminster.

One of the last Conservative government's proudest achievements should be that the vast majority of schools made real progress in driving up standards.

Our performance in international rankings like the international PISA tables rose steadily, particularly in reading and maths.

That improvement was driven by higher expectations, excellent teaching, and, crucially, the freedoms given to academies to make decisions in the best interests of their pupils.

For our rural schools, facing shifting demographics and smaller cohorts, this flexibility is really valuable in adapting provision to meet changing local needs.

Now, under Labour, those hard-won gains are at risk. Ministers are pressing ahead with plans to roll back academy freedoms and centralise decision-making and the curriculum.

We have seen the results of such an approach in Scotland, where standards have declined. I believe our schools should continue to offer bespoke opportunities, and we should not follow the same path.

Our young people in Okehampton, and across Central Devon, deserve an education system that works for rural areas, protects local provision, and expands and enhances opportunities.

I will keep working to ensure their voices are heard in Westminster, and that my party’s policy supports, rather than undermines, the progress our schools have made.

Sir Mel Stride

MP for Central Devon