Leading Article: We should fight to keep the good bits of the Education Bill

Many of the Government's education reforms have had to be shelved as a result of the election. We should not weep too many tears at the loss of the pupil and parent guarantees much trumpeted by Schools Secretary Ed Balls but thought likely by headteachers to lead to a lawyers' bonanza as parents claim their new rights.

It would be good, however, to see Labour's plans for primary school curriculum reform – with the focus on languages from age seven – resurrected as well as the plans to give one-to-one tuition to all children struggling to keep up in the three Rs.

We would also like to see compulsory sex education for children in their final year of schooling. The Education Bill which has been so emasculated was a bit of a curate's egg and would have increased bureaucracy. But it did have its good points and it would be sad if they were lost.