(Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner) (Con): Does my right
hon. Friend feel that it was helpful, at the point when everybody
agreed we should seek to run the independently moderated exams that
grades depended upon, that the National Education
Unionadvised its members not to participate in online
teaching, making it absolutely certain that the vast majority of
children would not get a fair crack of the whip?
The Secretary of State for Education (): There was
a challenge there. As my hon. Friend points out, the
National Education Union advised its members not
to participate in remote teaching, which was a shame, but I am
pleased to report that hundreds of thousands of teachers ignored
the advice and made sure it happened and that children could
benefit from it.
(Liverpool, Wavertree) (Lab):...The Government imposed
a deeply unfair system on young people, and were forced into a
U-turn by the determined campaigning of the young people whose
hopes, dreams, and aspirations had been shattered, supported by
their families, the National Education Union,
and the Labour party. Although the U-turn was welcome, it created
other problems that the Government have been slow to address, if
they have addressed them at all...
(Ipswich) (Con):...I say this passionately, as someone
who became a Member of Parliament because I care about children
with special educational needs and as somebody who had special
educational needs myself. I think the Leader of Her Majesty’s
Opposition should take some responsibility for the fact that we
were not able to get more kids back to school before the summer
holidays. I think he should accept that responsibility. Looking
forward—[Interruption.]
He made no effort. The Labour party has great influence in
the National Education Union. It used none of
that influence, and it continues to use none of that influence.
Vulnerable children have paid the price of its leader’s
inaction. [Interruption.]
Okay—let’s all calm down...
(Wirral West) (Lab):...Four education unions—the
National Association of Head Teachers, the National
Education Union, the Association of School and College Leaders
and the NASUWT—have called on the Secretary of State to
commit to an urgent independent inquiry into what happened this
year in order to understand what went wrong and to learn the
lessons for the future. Will he act on their call?
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