David Miliband: State school gave me a start in life

From a speech by the schools minister at the National Association of Head Teachers conference in Torquay

I am here today because of state education. My primary school wholly failed to convince me that there was anything more important than football, but it did prove to me that there were other things to read about; my comprehensive school may not have got me close to mastering physics A-level, but it gave me a sense of inquiry and got me into university. So my philosophy is simple: my job is to help you ensure that all children get the opportunities they deserve.

You know and I know there are some children who are always likely to get on. They have the parental support, the luck of the draw, the natural talent, and schooling is for them a great adventure.

They deserve excellence. But what marks us out in this room is that we also want the best schooling, the great adventure, for all children, not just for the children bound to succeed but also for those who might not, the children who don't have the parental support, don't have the books and the background and the belief at home, but do have their own personality and talent and intelligence and potential.

I am a new member of the Government, but I know what motivates its leading members. I was head of policy for Tony Blair for seven years, in opposition and in government. There is one thing I know. Education is the number one priority because this generation of politicians know that in the end it will determine the long-term future of the country – how much we earn, how we live, how we get on together.