Restore Britain's education policy

Under current rules in England, a term-time holiday is not treated as an exceptional circumstance, and councils can fine each parent £80, rising to £160 if it is not paid within 21 days. Restore Britain would instead give every pupil up to five days of authorised term-time family leave each academic year, at the parents' discretion, as long as the child's overall attendance and progress remain satisfactory. The paper goes further, saying such leave would be "actively encouraged" for children who are attending and progressing well.

The party gives several reasons: holiday prices rise sharply during school breaks, many parents (including NHS staff) cannot take leave in the holidays, and some families of children with special educational needs find off-peak travel easier. It also argues that if schools already allow some absences, such as for religious observance, then attendance is not an absolute rule. It says exemptions for religious festivals should not extend beyond traditional Christian holidays, and that parents rather than the state should decide which days away are worthwhile.

The party proposes abolishing interest on all student loans held by British nationals living in the UK. Eligible borrowers would apply to the Student Loans Company with proof of citizenship and residence to have both past and future interest removed. British nationals living abroad could apply when they return, and applications would stay open indefinitely. Repayment thresholds would not change, so more of each repayment would go towards the original balance.

The paper argues that interest has turned loans into a "de facto graduate tax", especially for middle earners on Plan 2, many of whom repay for decades while their balance grows. Citing Student Loans Company data, it says about £13.36bn of interest was added in 2025–26, against £5.94bn repaid. The party says the true cost would be far lower than the interest figure, because much of that interest would never have been repaid. Its £5.46bn figure estimates interest associated with UK taxpayers making repayments, not a definitive annual fiscal cost; the paper says that requires government modelling. See our student loan policy explainer.

The Objective says a Restore Britain government would encourage and fund young people to take up apprenticeships and "learn a proper skill instead of some bogus university degree". It also says less academically inclined pupils should be able to learn the life skills they will need as adults. The economic plan describes an education system "centred on academic and vocational excellence".

The Objective says Britain's universities should be setting global standards in research, but argues they have been captured by ideological trends it names as decolonisation, intersectionality and critical race theory. It wants universities to be "openly pro-British: proud of our history, proud of our culture, proud of our people". It says staff promoting what it calls anti-British ideology should not hold posts in publicly funded universities, that courses it sees as teaching students to hate their own culture should close, and that inquiries into entire universities should be held in the most serious cases.

The economic plan says state education would stay free at the point of delivery, but each school would be independent of state bureaucracy, able to set its own budget and priorities, and funded according to pupil numbers. Education would be exempt from VAT, and private school fees would become tax-deductible at the parent's marginal rate of income tax. The party argues this would be fiscally positive, because the saving from fewer pupils in state schools would outweigh the cost of the tax relief, and estimates the measures would save around £10bn a year by the end of a Parliament.