Teacher Recruitment and Retention Beth Winter (Cynon Valley) (Lab)
1. What steps her Department is taking to improve the (a)
recruitment and (b) retention of teachers. (903047) The Secretary
of State for Education (Gillian Keegan) Our fantastic teachers do
an amazing job day in, day out, and I am proud to say that we have
increased the number of teachers by 24,000 since 2010. Recruitment
and retention has been a key challenge in every industry, in every
country and...Request free trial
Teacher Recruitment and Retention
(Cynon Valley) (Lab)
1. What steps her Department is taking to improve the (a)
recruitment and (b) retention of teachers. (903047)
The Secretary of State for Education ()
Our fantastic teachers do an amazing job day in, day out, and I
am proud to say that we have increased the number of teachers by
24,000 since 2010. Recruitment and retention has been a key
challenge in every industry, in every country and in every
Department that I have worked in. Whether attracting data
analysts at the start of the dotcom era, or broadening the routes
into healthcare professions, it is always a challenge. We are
bolstering teacher numbers through the highest pay award for 30
years and we are providing generous bursaries worth up to
£27,000, as well as our levelling-up premium, which is worth up
to £3,000 each year for five years for maths, physics, chemistry
and computing teachers.
The National Foundation for Educational Research says today that
a strategy for improving recruitment and retention should
involve
“pay uplifts that are higher than pay growth in the wider labour
market for most or all teachers”.
Does the Secretary of State agree? Is it not the case that she
cannot address the crisis until she gives teachers and support
staff the fully funded, inflation-plus pay rise that they
deserve?
I thank the hon. Lady for her question. In 2019, we launched the
Government’s first ever integrated strategy to recruit and retain
more teachers in schools, which had a number of different strands
in it, including supporting teachers on the way in, recruiting
more, and various routes into teaching. Of course, we have an
independent pay review body and this year we accepted all its
recommendations in full.
(Bexleyheath and Crayford)
(Con)
On Friday morning, I was privileged to attend St Paulinus Church
of England Primary School in Crayford to speak with teachers and
to answer pupils’ questions. As my right hon. Friend knows, an
inspirational teacher is often key to opening opportunities for a
young person’s future. What more can the Government do to help to
retain more of those good, aspirational teachers?
I thank my right hon. Friend for his work. Many of us have a
treat on a Friday when we go into our fantastic schools and meet
lots of children. The early career framework, which was
introduced last year, is focused on trying to ensure that we
support teachers, particularly in the first five years, so that
we retain more of them. The figures show that the risk of
retention is in those first five years, so we have put a lot of
work and effort into making sure that we support them more during
that period.
(Ross, Skye and Lochaber)
(SNP)
Of course, recruitment and retention of teachers is important,
but all hon. Members will prioritise keeping schoolchildren safe
from sexual predators. I am sure that the Secretary of State will
be aware of the Scottish child abuse inquiry, detailing the
horrific allegations from a number of witnesses to events at
Edinburgh Academy and Fettes College by an individual referred to
as Edgar. I have a number of constituents who have complaints
against Edgar. This man has admitted to inappropriate behaviour
and is currently fighting extradition from South Africa, where he
has been publicly named. There is a precedent in England where
another alleged abuser living in South Africa, whose extradition
has been sought, has been publicly named. We now know that dozens
of boys have come forward to the police with allegations against
the man referred to as Edgar. It is important that others who
were abused by this man can come forward. It is right that his
crimes against children are named and it is also right that he is
now named. It is for this reason that it is in the public
interest that the real name of Edgar—that is, Iain Wares—is now
publicly known.
I thank the right hon. Gentleman. Child sexual abuse is an
abhorrent crime and the Government are sympathetic to the victims
and survivors of such abuse. As set out in November in response
to the final report of the independent inquiry into child sexual
abuse, it is important that due process is followed to allow
investigatory and legal processes to take place to maximise the
chances of conviction.
(Kettering) (Con)
Can the Secretary of State confirm that the Government intend to
raise starting salaries for teachers to £30,000 a year and that
the pension entitlement that teachers enjoy is far higher than
those earning the same wage in the private sector?
My hon. Friend makes a good point. In line with our manifesto
commitment to raise the starting salary, it is £28,000 this year
and it will be £30,000 from September next year. I can confirm
that the employer contribution to teachers’ pensions is 23.6%,
which is considerably higher than for many in the private
sector.
Dame (Hackney South and Shoreditch) (Lab/Co-op)
The Secretary of State says she wants to support teachers,
particularly in the first five years, and that the £30,000 a year
salary will kick in next year. In London, people often move after
about five years because they simply cannot afford to rent
privately or buy in the capital. What is she doing, both in the
immediate and the long term, to make sure that we keep good
teachers in London?
The hon. Lady may be aware that we have a London weighting for
teachers, but I accept that the costs of accommodation in London
are extremely high in some areas.
(Meon Valley) (Con)
It is, indeed, a treat to visit schools. On Friday, I visited the
brilliant Horndean Technology College, where I was told that
there are 20 ways of getting into teaching, but still schools are
struggling to get teachers. What more can we do to slim down
those 20 ways, which seem rather a lot, and ensure that we have
well-qualified teachers to teach pupils to a high standard?
One of the main things we are doing is making sure that we have
bursaries to attract teachers, particularly in subjects where
there is a lot of competition for those skills. I am actually
hoping to increase the number of routes, because we are looking
to have an apprenticeship for teaching at undergraduate level, so
that people who need to earn and learn can also be attracted into
teaching.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister, .
(Portsmouth South) (Lab)
Having dumped the Schools Bill, the only education policy this
Government seem to have is a gimmick announcement on making maths
compulsory until 18, a plan that experts say is unachievable in
the light of the teacher recruitment crisis. What discussion did
the Secretary of State have with the Prime Minister before his
announcement, because surely she would have told him it was
unworkable, given that the Government have missed their
recruitment target for maths teachers in each of the last 10
years?
We very much have a focus on making sure that our standards are
very high in schools and that our children have the very best
education to compete globally when they need to get into the
workforce. If we look at every other developed economy, we see
that in pretty much all of them children do maths in some form up
to the age of 18, and we are a bit of an outlier. We are looking
to raise the expectations and standards to make sure that our
children can compete, and to also give them financial skills for
life. Of course, we will work with the sector, and it is a
longer-term strategy to make sure that we have enough maths
teachers. We have a number of strategies already in place,
because it is always tough to recruit maths teachers, and that is
why we have introduced a bursary of up to £27,000 for all maths
teachers and also for many science teachers.
Children with SEND and their Families: Support
(Bristol East) (Lab)
3. What steps she is taking to improve support for (a) children
with special educational needs and disabilities and (b) their
families.(903049)
(Wantage) (Con)
10. What steps her Department is taking to support schools with
pupils with special educational needs.(903057)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education ()
All children, no matter their special educational need or
disability, deserve the right support to be able to succeed. We
will be publishing a full response to the SEND and alternative
provision Green Paper in an improvement plan early this year, and
we continue to work closely with children, families and
education, healthcare and local government sectors on this very
important issue.
Today is Blue Monday, and I am sure that both you, Mr Speaker,
and the Education Secretary will be pleased to know that,
following our event last year, the band New Order and the charity
CALM—the Campaign Against Living Miserably—have teamed up
together today to urge people not to hold back from seeking help
with their mental health if they need it. However, as we
discussed at that event, too many children are facing
unconscionable delays in getting assessed and in getting support.
Too many children risk being damaged for life as a result, so
will the Minister please get a move on and bring forward the
response to the SEND review consultation? Children should not
have to wait any longer.
I can assure the hon. Lady that we are working incredibly hard,
and we will be publishing a response imminently. In the meantime,
we are rolling out training on mental health to all schools
across the country, and I am working very hard with my
counterparts at the Department for Health and Social Care to make
sure that, when we look at the proposals on SEND, they are
brought fully into the picture as well.
Many parents in Oxfordshire are unhappy with the county council
for a variety of reasons—from emails that are never answered, to
education, health and care plans that come back with wrong
child’s details, to long delays in receiving EHCPs. My hon.
Friend will know that many parents want an EHCP because it has
become the only way to get support for their children, though
this might not have been necessary had they received support from
the school at an earlier stage. What steps is she taking to
address this?
My hon. Friend has raised this issue with me several time. One
key part of the reforms set out in the SEND Green Paper will be
clear standards about what help children with different SEND
needs should be getting at school. That will give parents greater
transparency and accountability regarding what their child should
reasonably get, and also means that children will get the early
help that my hon. Friend so rightly talks about.
(Exeter) (Lab)
The Minister will be aware that Devon’s children’s services have
been failing for many years, with special educational needs a
particular problem. Following the latest inspector’s damning
report, the county council has belatedly appointed a new head of
children’s services. Will the Minister make clear to the
political leadership of Devon County Council that if things do
not improve quickly, she will have no hesitation in stripping
Devon of its responsibility for children’s services?
We work with all areas that are struggling to provide SEND
services through our regions group work, our delivering better
value programmes, and our safety valve programmes. I will, of
course, look at the issue carefully, and we always step in and
act when we need to.
(Stoke-on-Trent North)
(Con)
One of the best ways in which young people with SEND can be
supported is by remaining in the local area to be educated. That
is why I am delighted that, thanks to a significant amount of
Government investment, Middlehurst School, which is currently
sitting empty, is now being built to create 80 new SEND school
places. Will my hon. Friend congratulate Councillor Janine
Bridges from Stoke-on-Trent City Council on that amazing work,
and will she pledge to come and open that school when it is
ready, hopefully at the end of this year?
I absolutely commend the work of Councillor Janine Bridges. It
sounds as if she is doing a tremendous job to increase the number
of places for SEND children. I would also be delighted to come
and see whether I can open the school.
Childcare: Accessibility, Affordability and Quality
(Worcester) (Con)
4. What steps she plans to take to improve the (a) accessibility,
(b) affordability and (c) quality of childcare. (903051)
The Secretary of State for Education ()
I know how important childcare is to the Chair of the Education
Committee, and I look forward to his Committee’s report on that
issue. Getting this right is fundamentally important for parents
and children, and my hon. Friend the Minister for Children,
Families and Wellbeing is considering all options to improve the
cost, flexibility and availability of childcare and, crucially,
outcomes for children. It may interest Opposition Members to know
that since 2010 we have doubled Labour’s offer of free childcare
for three to four-year-olds, from 15 to 30 hours. We have also
introduced 15 hours a week of free childcare for disadvantaged
two-year-olds, and parents on universal credit can claim back up
to 85% of their childcare costs.
Mr Walker
I am grateful to the Secretary of State for that answer, and she
is right to set out what has been achieved. She will recognise
that access to affordable and high-quality childcare is high on
the agenda of parents and Members across the House, and as she
said, the Education Committee is looking into that issue. There
has been much speculation in the media as to whether this issue
remains a priority for the Government. Will she reassure me and
the Committee that she plans further reform and investment in
this space?
I reassure my hon. Friend and the whole House that childcare is
important to this Government —indeed, I met the Chief Secretary
to the Treasury about this issue only last week. Helping working
families to take up childcare and remain in work is a Government
priority, and we have taken steps to ensure that that happens. We
want to ensure that people benefit from a lot of the schemes we
have in place, as some of them are underutilised. We have a £1.2
million Childcare Choices campaign to increase the use of such
schemes, but we will go further. We are considering all options
to improve the affordability and availability of childcare and,
crucially, outcomes for children.
(Kingston upon Hull West and
Hessle) (Lab)
Sadly, childcare is not the only thing that parents are
struggling to afford, and I am grateful to Karen Taylor from
Rooted in Hull for drawing to my attention work done by the Child
Poverty Action Group on poverty proofing schools. That provides a
toolkit for schools to look at their academic year, identify
times when they are asking parents to pay money, and try to find
ways to alleviate that and reduce the costs to parents. Will the
Secretary of State join me in encouraging many schools up and
down the country, academy chains and headteachers, to look at
that toolkit and do what they can to reduce the costs associated
with sending children to school?
Of course we are always focused on what more we can do. We
obviously have pupil premium funding, school uniform guidance and
the highest number of children benefiting from free school meals,
and in deprived areas we have introduced breakfast clubs. We all
know that economically, times are tough, which is why we are very
much focused on trying to get inflation down and on the Prime
Minister’s pledge to halve inflation this year.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
(Dulwich and West Norwood)
(Lab)
Childcare is essential social infrastructure that underpins our
economy by supporting parents to work. Yet in 2022, more than
5,000 childcare providers closed, and more than half of all local
authority areas saw a net loss of childcare places. The
Government have admitted that they pay providers less than it
costs them to deliver so-called free childcare places, and with
energy bills and wages going up from April, many more providers
are at risk of closure. A crisis in our early years sector is
happening right now. What are the Government going to do to stop
further childcare providers closing?
I thank the hon. Lady for her question. Actually, Ofsted data
shows that the number of childcare places has remained broadly
stable at 1.3 million since August 2015. At the spending review
in 2021 we announced additional funding of £160 million in
2022-23, £180 million in 2023-24 and £170 million in 2024-25
compared with the 2021-22 financial year. That will allow local
authorities to increase the hourly rates paid to childcare
providers.
Further Education: Revenue Funding
(Waveney) (Con)
5. Whether her Department plans to increase revenue funding for
further education. (903052)
The Minister of State, Department for Education ()
We are transforming people’s life chances by enabling them to
climb the education and skills ladder of opportunity. On 9
January, we announced that in financial year 2023-24 we will
increase funding rates to invest a further £125 million in
16-to-19 education. Some £18.5 million has been invested in
16-to-19 education in institutions that cover the Waveney
constituency.
I am most grateful to my right hon. Friend for that answer.
Taking into account both the urgent need to address acute skills
shortages in key sectors of the economy and the fact that
participation in adult education fell from 4.4 million in 2003-04
to 1.5 million in 2019-20, it is vital that further education
capacity is significantly expanded. My right hon. Friend the
Chancellor highlighted the importance of investment in skills in
his autumn statement. I would be grateful if my right hon. Friend
the Minister could set out the work that has been done to meet
that challenge ahead of the spring statement.
My hon. Friend is an FE champion; I welcome his question. He will
be pleased to know that we are investing in resources, increasing
skills funding by £3.8 billion over the Parliament, investing in
quality qualifications such as T-levels, higher technical
qualifications, free level 3 courses, bootcamps and
apprenticeships. We are also investing in infrastructure, rolling
out 21 institutes of technology, spending £290 million.
(Huddersfield)
(Lab/Co-op)
Come on, my old friend—the Minister can do better than that. The
fact of the matter is that further education is still a
Cinderella service. When will he wake up to the fact that we
desperately need more skilled people in our country and that the
FE sector is the one area where we could do real investment that
would pay back quickly? I like the Minister a lot—we are old
friends—and urge him to get his act together and put some real
heft into further education.
The hon. Gentleman describes FE as a Cinderella service, but I
remind him that Cinderella became a member of the royal family
and it is this Government who are banishing the two ugly sisters
of under-resourcing and snobbery about further education and
skills. As I said in answer to my hon. Friend the Member for
Waveney (), we are investing £3.8
billion extra in skills in this Parliament and £1.6 billion extra
for FE, increasing the number of hours of learning for students.
I am proud of the Government’s approach to further education and
skills.
Mr Speaker
Let us move to the shadow Minister.
(Chesterfield) (Lab)
The Minister was a huge champion for the FE sector when he was
Chair of the Education Committee, so it is depressing to hear him
now speaking up for the Government. Their funding settlements for
FE colleges are the worst in post-war history—and that is not
just my view but that of the independent Institute for Fiscal
Studies, whose analysis exposes that per-student funding fell 14%
in real terms between 2010 and 2019. Is not the reality that,
after 13 years of this Government, only the election of a Labour
Government will allow our colleges to play the role that we truly
need from them?
That is wishful thinking on the part of the hon. Gentleman. The
Government are increasing investment in apprenticeships to £2.7
billion by 2024-25. We will be investing an extra £1.6 billion in
16-to-19 education over the same period of time. That includes
£500 million a year for T-levels. I mentioned the £290 million
being spent on institutes of technology and we have committed
£1.5 billion to an upgrade of the FE college estate in England
over the next few years. The Government are investing in, and
championing, further education and skills. The hon. Gentleman
should recognise that.
Alternative Provision Settings
(Aylesbury) (Con)
6. What steps her Department is taking to help improve outcomes
in alternative provision settings. [R] (903053)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education ()
As set out in our special educational needs and disabilities and
alternative provision Green Paper published in March, our
ambitious alternative provision reforms will keep all children in
AP with the right support in the right setting at the right time.
Our reforms will enable children with medical needs or behaviour
that present barriers to learning to have the support, skills and
confidence they need to thrive.
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that answer. Many of the
children I have met in the youth justice system have been
excluded from mainstream schools and instead sent to alternative
provision. Standards are often very good, but sadly that is far
from always the case. Indeed, the Youth Justice Board, on which I
used to sit, said:
“An improvement in standards and practice across alternative
provision is needed.”
What action is the Minister taking to ensure that alternative
provision is not a dumping ground for difficult pupils who
mainstream schools want to exclude, and that, by contrast, there
is always high-quality teaching and welfare support in AP?
My hon. Friend is a passionate believer in youth justice—in fact,
I think that is what we spoke about the first time we met—and he
is right to be concerned about this area. There are some great AP
settings—I was talking to Mark Vickers of Olive Academies
recently—but we know that some settings are delivering very poor
outcomes for young people. I am really excited about our
proposals on AP. I think they will be transformational and I am
happy to discuss them further with my hon. Friend.
(Tiverton and Honiton)
(LD)
Funding for alternative provision for children who are unwell
peters out after the age of 16. There was no mention of colleges
in last November’s autumn statement. I spoke to a constituent in
Devon this morning whose son has been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s
lymphoma and is unable to get the online tuition he needs from
our local college. When will colleges receive additional revenue
funding so they are able to afford alternative provision for
children diagnosed with illnesses like my constituent?
As part of the reforms we are setting out, we will develop a
bespoke national alternative framework that will include looking
at standards and sustainable post-16 destinations. I am happy to
discuss that further with the hon. Gentleman once we publish our
proposals.
Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme
(Hastings and Rye)
(Con)
7. What progress she has made with Cabinet colleagues on the
Family Hubs and Start for Life programme. (903054)
(Aberconwy) (Con)
22. What progress she has made with Cabinet colleagues on the
Family Hubs and Start for Life programme. (903070)
The Secretary of State for Education ()
Family hubs are one-stop shops that make it easier for families
to get the support they need and I strongly support them. The
Government are investing £300 million in the Family Hubs and
Start for Life programme, and 75 local authorities will begin to
open hubs later this year.
East Sussex County Council submitted an excellent bid for a
network of family hubs across East Sussex. Family hubs are a part
of the solution to many national and local issues, and now more
than ever are vital to many of our local communities. In addition
to the roll-out of family hubs, what steps is my hon. Friend
taking to ensure that this fantastic policy has long-term funding
to maximise long-term benefits?
I strongly agree with my hon. Friend. We are funding 75 councils
for the current spending review period. I have no doubt that the
excellent work in East Sussex, led by Becky Shaw and her
excellent team, and across the country will make the case for
further investment.
(Aberconwy) (Con)
I am very proud of the work the Government are doing with family
hubs, early years and Start for Life. To give babies the very
best start to life, every community in Wales has a cylch
meithrin—an informal group of mothers, babies and young children.
Care within the community is almost a tradition in Wales, but
formal support for early years is more variable across Wales.
What arrangements are there for sharing or exchanging best
practice with the Welsh Government on such important areas?
We have regular meetings with all the devolved authorities, and
we share ideas about what we are doing and our policies so that
we can learn from one another. There is no monopoly on good
ideas; we are always open to listening and sharing.
(York Central)
(Lab/Co-op)
Since the publication of the independent review of children’s
social care, which will also improve the use of family hubs,
hundreds of children have been taken into care while millions in
profits have been put into the private sector. When will the
Secretary of State publish the Government’s delayed response to
the review? Will she look at York being a pilot to ensure that we
can move forward quickly?
I assure the hon. Lady that the Minister for Children, Families
and Wellbeing—the Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the
Member for East Surrey ()—is working actively on
the matter. The response will be published soon, and I am sure
that my hon. Friend will be happy to discuss further how we will
roll that out and implement it.
Maintained Nursery Schools
(Chipping Barnet)
(Con)
8. What steps she is taking to support maintained nursery
schools. (903055)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education ()
Maintained nursery schools make an invaluable contribution to
improving the lives of disadvantaged children. We are investing
an additional £10 million in their supplementary funding from
2023-24, taking the total to approximately £70 million. We are
reforming the distribution of the funding to make it fairer,
ensuring that all authorities with maintained nursery schools
receive supplementary funding.
I warmly welcome that extra funding, because it means for the
first time that maintained nursery schools in Barnet will get a
share of the supplementary funding. Will the Minister join me in
welcoming that funding and express her strong support for the
maintained nursery school sector in the future?
My right hon. Friend has consistently and passionately campaigned
for the maintained nursery school sector. I agree that it is
doing an excellent job, not only in supporting some of the most
disadvantaged children, but in sharing expertise and knowledge
with other providers.
(Bath) (LD)
Sadly, Midford Road Nursery in my constituency was forced to
close its doors. Staff shortages were the major reason. Many
nurseries in Bath face similar problems, and parents struggle to
find alternatives. What advice would the Minister give to parents
in Bath who are struggling to find a nursery?
We have increased the funding set out for early years by about
half a billion pounds since 2020-21. I agree that workforce is an
issue; we are looking at recruitment and retention very carefully
and will be setting out proposals as and when we can.
School Buildings
(North West Norfolk) (Con)
9. What steps her Department is taking to improve school
buildings. (903056)
(Hyndburn) (Con)
15. What steps her Department is taking to improve school
buildings. (903063)
The Secretary of State for Education ()
In December, I announced a further 239 schools that will benefit
from large-scale rebuilding and refurbishment projects as part of
our school rebuilding programme, which will transform 500 schools
across the country. I saw the huge impact that our investments
are having at Coundon Court, where I met the headteacher Mr Heal
and his students, who were very excited at the prospect of their
new classrooms and design and tech and science labs. As
Conservatives, we are investing in the future not only of the
next generation, but of generations to come. On top of that, we
have allocated more than £13 billion to improving school
buildings since 2015, including £1.8 billion this year.
I welcome the recent addition of the King Edward VII Academy to
the school rebuilding programme, following the inclusion of
Smithdon High School in an earlier round, and the new investment
that is coming to North West Norfolk. However, given Smithdon’s
grade II* listed status and the complexity that it brings, can my
right hon. Friend assure me that funding for the school is
protected? Will Ministers meet me to ensure that we get the
heritage and other permissions we need as rapidly as
possible?
My Department is working closely with heritage and planning
officers to ensure that we can address the condition of Smithdon
High School as quickly as possible, while recognising the listed
status of the buildings. We are working on the project with
Historic England and the Twentieth Century Society, and we would
be very happy to meet my hon. Friend and provide an update on
progress.
In Hyndburn and Haslingden, we received the fantastic news just
before Christmas that the Hyndburn Academy and Haslingden High
School will be included in the next round of the school
rebuilding programme. I eagerly await the next round so that
schools in my patch, such as The Hollins, can apply. Can my right
hon. Friend confirm whether school rebuilding programme funding
can be used, in conjunction with other investment, for
initiatives that benefit not only the school but the wider
community?
I thank my hon. Friend for her excellent question. We encourage
schools to play a positive role in their community, and many
choose to provide access to sports and other facilities. The
school rebuilding programme directly commissions projects rather
than providing funding to schools, so, where feasible, we include
additional facilities beyond the scope of a project, if it is
funded by the local trust or the local authority. We are
interested in making sure that school facilities benefit the
wider community.
(Walsall South) (Lab)
The Minister of State, the right hon. Member for Bognor Regis and
Littlehampton (), visited Joseph Leckie Academy,
which really helped, and I had a good meeting with the heads of
Joseph Leckie and Blue Coat Church of England Academies along
with my friend the hon. Member for Worcester (Mr Walker).
However, the schools still lost out. Will the Secretary of State,
or one of her Ministers, meet those two heads and me to find out
why on earth they cannot succeed in obtaining funds for vital
repairs?
Obviously some schools are disappointed that they did not have
access to those funds. We have announced funding for 400 schools
so far and a further 100 will be included in future rounds, but
we would be happy to meet the right hon. Lady.
(Twickenham) (LD)
A Schools Week investigation found that at least 40 schools
contained so-called aero-concrete, while 150 more needed further
investigation. Officials described the concrete as
“life-expired and liable to collapse”,
which is extremely alarming. NHS England says that it will take
until 2035 to remove aero-concrete from all our hospitals; will
we be waiting as long as that for it to be removed from our
schools?
Last year the Government published updated guidance on
identifying and managing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.
In March 2022, all schools were asked to complete a questionnaire
about their knowledge of RAAC and its presence in their buildings
and asking how, if they had it, they were managing it. We help
schools where its presence is confirmed by providing the
appropriate technical support, and we want to ensure that we
continue that programme.
Holocaust Memorial Day
(Shrewsbury and Atcham)
(Con)
11. What steps her Department is taking to commemorate Holocaust
Memorial Day in schools. (903058)
The Minister of State, Department for Education ()
Many schools and colleges already mark Holocaust Memorial Day—I
have attended such a remembrance service at Harlow College—and
they work closely with the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust and the
Holocaust Educational Trust, two institutions that the Government
support. That is all the more important given the 128 incidents
of antisemitism in one year in our higher education institutions,
and the fact that, sadly, such incidents are now at an all-time
high.
As well as educating children about the horrors of the holocaust
and the second world war, can we take the opportunity to educate
children about the tremendous courage, bravery and sacrifices of
the Righteous Among the Nations? Many people on the continent
gave up their lives to protect their Jewish friends and
neighbours. One example was a member of my family, Jan
Kawczynski, his wife Helena and their 13-year-old daughter
Magdalena, who were all shot by the Germans for protecting and
hiding their Jewish friends and neighbours on their estate in
western Poland. As well as educating children about the misery of
the holocaust, we must give them inspiration from the fact that
many of our brothers and sisters in occupied Europe made the
ultimate sacrifice to protect friends and neighbours of the
Jewish faith.
Hear, hear. It was very moving to hear of the experience of my
hon. Friend’s family, and I entirely agree with him: we must
teach and remind people that there were many righteous Gentiles
who suffered while doing everything possible to save Jews. A
famous Polish lady, Irena Sendler, saved 2,000 Jewish children
from the Warsaw ghettos, and was remembered in a special
exhibition in the House of Commons in 2018, which I was pleased
to attend. My hon. Friend has made a powerful point, and I am
sure that schools up and down the country will be listening to
what he says.
Apprenticeships
(Eastleigh) (Con)
12. What steps her Department is taking to help improve the
quality of apprenticeships. (903059)
The Minister of State, Department for Education ()
We are improving the quality of apprenticeships, and Ofsted will
be inspecting every apprenticeship provider by 2025. All
providers have been asked to re-enrol on the register of
apprenticeship training providers. We are intervening to help
apprentices and employers as well.
My local college, Eastleigh College, works alongside 700 regional
employers to deliver high-quality apprenticeships all the way to
degree level. Last year nearly a third of apprenticeship starts
were at the higher level. What steps are the Government taking to
broaden the routes into technical education and increase the
number of higher-level apprenticeship starts?
My hon. Friend will be pleased to know that there have been more
than 10,800 apprenticeship starts in his constituency since 2010.
We are investing £2.7 billion in apprenticeships by 2025. We are
spending £8 million of that on promoting degree-level
apprenticeships. We have a big recruitment campaign, Fire It Up,
to encourage more apprentices. We are transforming careers advice
on apprenticeships in schools and colleges, We pay non-levy-payer
small businesses the vast majority of their training costs when
they hire apprentices.
Political Impartiality Guidance for Schools
(Penistone and Stocksbridge)
(Con)
13. What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of
political impartiality guidance for schools. (903060)
The Minister of State, Department for Education ()
The law is clear that schools must prohibit the promotion of
partisan political views and take steps to ensure the balanced
presentation of opposing views on political issues when they are
taught. Guidance to schools on political impartiality was
published in February 2022. It summarises the legal position and
states that clear and proportionate steps should be taken to
ensure that those legal duties are met.
You do not have to be a historian, Mr Speaker, to understand the
dangers of indoctrinating children, yet YouGov polling for Policy
Exchange shows that the majority of UK children are being taught
political ideology as fact in school. That includes gender
ideology that children can be born in the wrong body and men can
have babies; critical race theories that race is a social
construct; or sex positivity, such as in the document I have here
that instructs teachers of children with learning disabilities to
simulate sexual arousal on anatomically correct dolls while
playing sexy music in class. These are not isolated incidents but
are endemic in our schools. The guidance is not working. What
does the Minister intend to do about it?
The guidance on political impartiality makes it very clear that
when teaching about sensitive political issues relating to
discrimination teachers should be mindful of avoiding the
promotion of partisan views or presenting contested theories as
fact. Schools need to ensure that any resources used in the
classroom, particularly those produced by an external
organisation, are age-appropriate, suitable and politically
impartial. Schools should consult parents and share lesson
materials when parents ask to see them.
Free School Meals
(Coventry South) (Lab)
14. What assessment she has made of the potential merits of
extending the eligibility criteria for free school meals.
(903062)
The Minister of State, Department for Education ()
The Government support the provision of nutritious food in
schools, which ensures that children are well-nourished, develop
healthy eating habits and can concentrate and learn. Some 1.9
million pupils are eligible for free school meals. That is an
increase from 2021, when 1.7 million pupils were eligible. In
large part, the increase is due to protections put in place to
support families as they move to universal credit. In addition,
1.25 million pupils are eligible under the universal infant free
school meal programme.
Each month, 4 million children experience food insecurity, go to
bed hungry and set off to school on an empty stomach. To tackle
this injustice, my free school meals for all Bill would guarantee
that every child in England had a hot, healthy meal each day,
just as they do in Scotland and Wales. It could be paid for twice
over by removing the private schools’ £1.7 billion tax break, a
move that the Conservative party on the Government Benches
blocked last week. My Bill is due to get its Second Reading on
Friday. Will the Minister back my Bill, or does he believe that
protecting tax breaks for elite private schools is more important
than feeding hungry children?
The Government have extended free school meals to more groups of
children than any Government over the past century, including
Labour Governments, increasing numbers from 1.7 million to 1.9
million children. This Government introduced an extension to
85,000 students in further education colleges, new eligibility
for some children of families with no recourse to public funds,
and a scheme for 1.25 million children in infant schools.
Mr Speaker
I call the Scottish National party spokesperson.
(Glasgow North West)
(SNP)
The Levelling Up Secretary said in October that extending free
school meal provision would be the most timely, effective and
targeted of all public health interventions that this Government
could make. The Scottish Government have already committed to
universal free school meals for primary children. Does the
Minister agree with his colleague? If not, what targeted
interventions would he make to tackle child hunger?
We are spending £1.6 billion a year on free school meals for
children. We want to make sure that that funding is targeted at
the most needy. That is precisely what is happening. We accept
the point, and I agree with the hon. Lady that it is important
that free school meals are provided to children from
disadvantaged backgrounds and those who cannot afford meals at
lunchtime—and we are doing that. As I said, we have increased the
number of children eligible for benefit-related free school meals
from 1.7 million to 1.9 million pupils.
Inflation
(Slough) (Lab)
16. What recent assessment her Department has made of the impact
of inflation on (a) school budgets and (b) the costs to parents
associated with the school day. (903064)
The Secretary of State for Education ()
Schools, like families and businesses across the world, are
facing global inflationary pressures. The Prime Minister has
pledged to halve inflation, and school funding will increase by
£2 billion next year as well as the year after that. This will be
the highest real-terms spending on schools in history, totalling
£58.8 billion by 2024-25. In 2010, school funding stood at £35
billion, so we will be delivering a 68% increase in cash terms.
The Government have also announced further support for parents
worth £26 billion next year.
Mr Dhesi
In addition to having grave concerns about recruiting and
retaining teachers, schools in Slough and across our country
continue to struggle with their budgets, with a quarter of
primary school senior leaders reporting that they have had to cut
outings and trips due to budgetary constraints. How will the
Government ensure that children do not miss out on these vital
opportunities?
The autumn statement announced significant additional investment
in core schools funding. The core schools budget will increase by
£2 billion in 2023-24 and 2024-25. That will be paid into
schools’ bank accounts in April, and I am sure they will welcome
that additional funding.
School Rebuilding Programme Funding: Northumberland
(Wansbeck) (Lab)
17. If she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the level
of school rebuilding programme funding allocated to schools in
Northumberland. (903065)
The Minister of State, Department for Education ()
Two schools in Northumberland are prioritised for the school
rebuilding programme, including Ringway Primary School in the
hon. Member’s constituency. Schools were nominated by local
authorities and trusts, and selected according to the condition
of their buildings following a robust assessment process. This is
in addition to the £5.8 million of school condition allocation
funding for Northumberland County Council in this financial
year.
The Department’s own report now reclassifies the risk of school
buildings collapsing as critical and very urgent. Despite the
sterling efforts of headteachers and staff to keep school
buildings in decent condition, many children in my constituency
are taught in buildings far below the standards they should
expect. Despite what the Minister has just said, can he tell the
House when adequate funding will be made readily available to
bring all schools in my constituency up to scratch?
We have allocated £13 billion since 2015 to school buildings and
maintenance. In May 2022, for example, the Government announced
the outcome of the condition improvement fund bids for 2022-23.
That will provide £500 million for 1,400 projects at 1,100
schools and sixth forms. The CIF is for individual schools and
groups of schools. In addition, £1.1 billion of school condition
allocations was made to local authorities and large groups of
academies. We take this issue very seriously and we want to make
sure that all our schools are in the best possible condition for
pupils to be able to learn.
Cost of Living: Students
(Newcastle upon Tyne Central) (Lab)
18. What steps she is taking to help support students with the
cost of living. (903066)
The Minister of State, Department for Education ()
My Department has made a one-off reallocation of funding to add
£15 million to this year’s student premium, now worth £276
million. Universities can support disadvantaged students by
drawing on this student premium and their own hardship funds, and
many universities such as Newcastle and Northumbria have
allocated funds to support disadvantaged students.
Newcastle University student union’s recent cost of living crisis
survey revealed that 41% of students had considered dropping out
due to financial pressures. They are trying to balance studying
with part-time and full-time jobs, and they feel increasingly
isolated and exhausted. The student union food bank is restocked
daily and is emptied quickly, with the record being within seven
minutes. The Minister knows that his additional hardship fund
works out at about £10 per student, and students are £1,500 worse
off because of the mismanagement of maintenance loans. Why is he
punishing students like this?
Of course I recognise that some students are facing hardship with
the cost of living challenges, like many people up and down the
country. The £276 million is a lot of money that universities can
draw on. As I mentioned, there has been an increase of £15
million. Students in private accommodation can get a £400 rebate
on their energy bills. We have frozen tuition fees for the past
few years; by 2024-25, they will have been frozen for seven
years. We have increased maximum loans and grants by 2.8% and if
students’ incomes fall below a certain level, they can reapply to
get their loans looked at. I really welcome the fact that
Newcastle University has increased the package of support
available to students to more than £1.7 million—
Mr Speaker
Order. I call .
(Warwick and Leamington)
(Lab)
As we hear, the cost of living crisis is serious for everyone,
but students in particular are facing real hardship. Independent
economists estimate that many students will be up to £1,500 worse
off this year. Given the Government’s current focus on maths, can
the Minister explain how his Government calculated an increase of
just 2.8% in the maintenance loan, following 2.3% this year, when
the rolling average inflation rate is running at 9.3%?
We have to be fair to students, but we have to be fair to the
taxpayer as well. We recognise student hardship, which is why we
increased the student premium by £15 million to £276 million.
Universities have their own hardship funds, and I highlighted the
£1.7 million given by Newcastle University. Universities across
the country are helping disadvantaged students. Students whose
family income falls below a certain level can apply to the
Student Loans Company to have their loan reassessed.
Topical Questions
(Newcastle upon Tyne Central) (Lab)
T1. If she will make a statement on her departmental
responsibilities.(903072)
The Secretary of State for Education ()
Given this is my first Education questions of 2023, Mr Speaker, I
would like to wish you, the House and everyone working in our
education sector a happy new year, and to share some of what is
to come from my Department.
Later this month, along with the Minister for Children, Families
and Wellbeing, my hon. Friend the Member for East Surrey (), I will be announcing our
comprehensive plan to reform children’s social care. Soon after,
we will return to bring forward our transformational improvement
plans to support children with special educational needs.
I hope Members will join me in celebrating National
Apprenticeship Week in February, and in April our schools will
have something to celebrate as they receive their funding, which
will include the £2 billion uplift announced at the autumn
statement. This will see overall funding rise by 15% in just two
years. We are investing more in our schools than ever before. By
2024-25, it will be £58.8 billion, the highest real-terms
spending in history.
Special educational needs provision in school matters. So many
parents contact me either because they cannot access such
provision or because it is inadequate. One family with two
neurodiverse children suffering from bullying and self-harm found
that their school’s SEN policy did not even mention autism or
neurodiversity. The Minister said this morning that the
Government’s response to the review will be published imminently.
Can she confirm that it will be published within the month and
that the clear standards she mentioned will be enforced?
I take special educational needs very seriously, as does the
Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing. It will be
published very soon, so there is not long to wait. I am sure the
hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne Central () will be delighted with the improvement plan, which
we will publish very early in the new year.
(North Norfolk) (Con)
T2. My constituent Hayley Turner is an inspirational campaigner
for special educational needs, which she has improved enormously
across the whole area. Evidence shows that early diagnosis and
autism interventions are paramount to ensuring that children get
the help they need. Hayley now uses her experience to help many
others in the community. What are the Government doing to help
neurodevelopmental services and to recruit educational
psychologists?(903073)
Mr Speaker
Order. May I suggest that the hon. Gentleman knows this is
topical questions? You cannot just go on and on. We have to get
through the questions for everyone’s sake.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education ()
I commend Hayley for the work she does. Access to educational
psychologists is of paramount importance so that people can get
an early diagnosis. We are funding an additional 600 educational
psychologists —200 in 2023 and 400 in 2024.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Secretary of State.
(Houghton and Sunderland
South) (Lab)
The Department for Education has raised the risk rating of school
buildings collapsing to “critical/very likely”. In December, the
schools Minister undertook to publish the data on these dangerous
buildings by the end of the year, yet parents, staff and pupils
are still in the dark. When will the Secretary of State finally
publish this data and own up to the extent of her failure?
The Minister of State, Department for Education ()
As I said earlier, our spending for capital funding in the
schools system since 2015 has been £13 billion. We take the
safety of schools very seriously. As the Secretary of State said
regarding reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, we have written
to all schools asking them to complete a questionnaire. As for
publishing the data, the Department has already published summary
findings from the condition data collection and we plan to
publish more detailed data shortly. The condition data
collections help us to understand the condition of schools, and
we will publish as and when the data is ready.
Mr Speaker
Order. I call to ask her second
question. We are going to have to speed it up folks in order to
get through.
(Houghton and Sunderland
South) (Lab)
Thank you, Mr Speaker. There was no answer there, even though the
schools Minister said we would see this data last year.
Conservative Members have described their childcare policy as
“crazy” and “unnecessarily expensive”, and said that they should
“get on” with reforming it. I agree, which is why the next Labour
Government will deliver a modern childcare system from the end of
parental leave to the end of primary school. If even the
Secretary of State’s own colleagues can see the case for change,
why can’t she?
The hon. Lady will find that when Labour was in power for 13
years it did nothing on this issue and that it was the
Conservative Government who expanded the offer for two, three and
four-year-olds for parents. I would love to see the costings of
her proposals because I think she is proposing yet more pie in
the sky for parents. However, we take this issue seriously and we
are committed to increasing the flexibility and affordability of
childcare for parents.
(Norwich North) (Con)
T3. I welcome the Secretary of State’s brief update just now on
the special educational needs and disabilities Green Paper. It is
right to get the correct support to families and young people as
early as possible. However, the Green Paper was also right to
talk about a truly inclusive education system. What progress will
the 9,000 young people in Norfolk with education, health and care
plans see in 2023?(903074)
I hope that the 9,000 children will see progress. Not only have
we increased the overall funding for SEND by about 50% since
2019, but we are increasing the number of specialist school
places. In the reforms, we will be setting out national
standards, which I hope will also improve their educational
experience.
Mr Speaker
I call the SNP spokesperson.
(Glasgow North West)
(SNP)
As a former teacher, I support the right of our teachers to
strike and will oppose this Government’s anti-strike legislation.
Does the Secretary of State agree that constructive dialogue with
our dedicated teachers is vital, rather than demonising them as
“Bolsheviks” and “commies”, as one of her colleagues has
disgracefully done?
I thank the hon. Lady for her question. I always believe in
constructive dialogue. The very first meeting I took as we
welcomed in the new year was with all four main teaching unions,
and I will be meeting them again later this week.
(Darlington) (Con)
T5. If we are levelling up, and trying to recruit and train more
teachers in the north-east, why on earth has the outstanding
Carmel College in my constituency been stripped of its
accreditation to train teachers by a tick-box, form-filling
exercise, destroying 20 years of hard work and leaving the
north-east worse off?(903076)
I have visited Carmel College and I know what a good school it
is. The initial teacher training reforms are a key part of the
Government’s commitment to levelling up and ensuring that
high-quality teachers are there for every child. Following an
expert review, a robust accreditation process was undertaken to
approve 179 providers, covering all regions, including the
north-east. ITT provision is also expanding through the
partnership. I know that my hon. Friend discussed this matter
with my predecessor, my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent
North (), and I would be happy to
meet him to discuss his concerns.
(Barnsley East) (Lab)
T4. Last week, my hon. Friend the Member for Barnsley Central
() and I held a meeting with parents about SEND
provision. Barnsley has one of the highest numbers of EHC plans
in the country. What resources will the Government commit to
ensure that provision is improved where it is needed
most?(903075)
I can tell the hon. Lady that the high needs funding for Barnsley
has increased by 12% year on year for 2023-24 and it will be more
than £40 million in total. It will also receive £7 million for
high needs provision capital from 2023-25 to increase the number
of places.
(East Worthing and Shoreham) (Con)
T6. [R] I remind the House of my entry in the Register of
Members’ Financial Interests. I am glad to hear that the
children’s social care review response from the Government is
going to come out shortly and that the Government have set up an
implementation board to progress its findings. More than 80% of
children in care are in the care of the independent sector, yet
that implementation board has refused to allow any representative
from that sector on to that board. Why?(903077)
I am committed to reform in children’s social care across all
sectors. The Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member
for East Surrey (), has been working hard in
partnership with the national implementation board and the wider
sector to design a plan for reform that will introduce meaningful
change for children and families. It is quite a small group, and
we have deliberately kept it small, but I will ask my hon. Friend
to take a look and check that it is representative.
(Manchester, Withington)
(Lab)
T10. The number of PE teachers has fallen by nearly 3,000 in the
past 10 years, and the number of hours of PE taught by 36,000.
With nearly a third of young people currently classed as
inactive, what will the Government do to stop physical activity
flatlining and make sure that young people can get the social,
physical and mental benefits of PE in schools?(903081)
We have met the target for PE teacher recruitment for most of the
past 10 years. We have the school sport and activity action plan
in place, and there is a new plan being worked on at the moment.
We take sport in schools very seriously; it is important for
physical and mental health and for academic attainment.
(Stroud) (Con)
T8. Parents of children with special educational needs feel that
they are constantly battling to be heard and for their children
to lead fulfilling lives. Some Stroud children are getting only a
few hours of schooling each week, which is hugely disruptive for
family and child. I am working with Gloucestershire County
Council’s Phil Robinson to improve day-to-day experiences for
Stroud families, but what is my hon. Friend doing to ensure that
the local authorities and parents are key to implementing the new
reforms?(903079)
I am really exercised about this issue. I speak to parents of
children with SEND all the time, and I do think that they find
the experience very adversarial. I will be setting out more
details in the implementation strategy shortly, but this is
something that I care very passionately about.
(Washington and Sunderland
West) (Lab)
The current national school breakfast programme reaches only one
quarter of the children living in areas with high levels of
deprivation in England. Labour has set out our universal free
breakfast offer, which will mean that no child will be too hungry
to learn. When will the Government join the Labour party in that
commitment?
We are spending £30 million between 2021 and 2024 on the school
breakfast programme, which offers free breakfast to children in
disadvantaged areas, supporting their attainment and readiness to
learn. The focus of the breakfast provision has been to target
the most disadvantaged areas of the country, and that has been
our strategy.
(West Suffolk) (Ind)
T9. Does the Secretary of State think that it is acceptable that
four out of five dyslexic children still leave school not
identified, and that teachers still do not have to be trained to
support dyslexic children specifically? It was a pleasure to meet
the Minister last week, but will she ensure that, in future,
early intervention is put in place for the identification of
dyslexia and other neurodivergent conditions?(903080)
I thank my right hon. Friend for his collaborative approach in
the meeting that we had last week. Absolutely, early
identification is key, and we have been looking very carefully at
that and at teaching training in the implementation plan that I
will be setting out shortly.
(South Shields) (Lab)
On new year’s eve, the care community lost a highly respected
dear friend and true advocate. Ian Dickson spent his entire life
making a difference to children in care and urging Governments to
listen to them. The care review does not have all the answers, so
will the Minister please implement the recommendations of the
pioneering care experienced conference, in which Ian played a
leading role?
I pay tribute to Ian’s work. I would love to look at that in more
detail and speak to the hon. Lady further about what we can take
forward.
(Sedgefield) (Con)
We all visit many schools, and the latest for me was Chilton
Academy where I talked about its Go Well support. We all talk
about funding, but the biggest thing about funding is not just
the amount, but its visibility and extended timelines. Can the
Minister please explain what can be done to make sure that the
schools know earlier and for longer what money they will have
available?
I understand and agree with my hon. Friend about the importance
of certainty over funding. The dedicated school grant allocations
for 2023-24 were published in December 2022, including indicative
allocations for the mainstream schools’ additional grant, which
will distribute the additional £2 billion of funding that was
announced in the autumn statement.
(Sheffield Central)
(Lab)
As we have heard, the additional £15 million hardship funding for
students announced last week amounts to less than £10 per
head—significantly less, according to my sums—while the Institute
for Fiscal Studies says that students are £1,500 a year worse
off. Today, the all-party parliamentary group for students is
launching an inquiry into the impact of the cost of living crisis
on students, inviting submissions from students, their unions and
institutions across the UK. Will the Minister agree to meet us to
consider the evidence we receive?
The Minister of State, Department for Education ()
Of course I would be delighted to meet the hon. Gentleman to
discuss the £276 million, along with other measures the
Government have introduced, including the energy rebate and other
support that we try to give students who are facing cost of
living challenges.
(Witham) (Con)
In light of the Government’s new emphasis on numeracy in schools,
may I make a plea that the Government do not forget about
literacy in schools and in particular how we can continue to
raise standards? My initiative “Get Witham Reading” has been
running for 10 years now, and I urge colleagues on the Front
Bench to come to Witham to see the scheme in action this year and
see how it has raised standards in education.
I could not agree more with my right hon. Friend, and I share her
passion, so I would be delighted to come and see the scheme in
place in her constituency. We take reading very seriously; we
have risen from joint 10th to joint eighth in the progress in
international reading literacy study league tables, and in those
surveys it is the least able children who are improving
fastest.
(Weaver Vale) (Lab)
James Kerfoot, the headteacher of Rudheath Senior Academy, which
serves my constituents, has introduced free school meals for all
pupils. Why does the Minister not do the same?
As I said, we are spending £1.6 billion each year on free school
meals, which is targeted at the most disadvantaged children, but
schools are able to use their pupil premium funding, which is
worth £2.5 billion a year to schools, if they wish to extend the
coverage of free school meals to more pupils. As I said earlier,
we extended free school meals to all pupils in infant schools in
an early decision of the Conservative-led coalition
Government.
(Broadland) (Con)
Children’s services in Norfolk have been judged as requiring
improvement all the way back to 2008, so will my hon. Friend join
me in congratulating executive director Sara Tough and all her
staff, as well as Councillor , on last week’s assessment that
Norfolk’s children’s services are now good and well on their way
to outstanding?
I do indeed congratulate that team; that is quite a hard thing to
do and it is brilliant that they have been able to get that
recommendation.
(Rutherglen and Hamilton
West) (Ind)
The Government take the safety of schools very seriously, as the
Minister said in response to an earlier question, so will
Ministers reconsider mandating the fitting of sprinklers in
new-build schools to minimise the risk posed by fires to
buildings, equipment, pupils’ school work and people?
The hon. Lady will know that there is revised guidance; the new
buildings bulletin has been issued after wide consultation and
makes some changes to requirements for when sprinklers are to be
installed in schools, particularly when the risk factor of the
students in the school is high—for example, for children with
special educational needs or residential schools.
(Cities of London and
Westminster) (Con)
When I met Jewish students studying in universities in my
constituency, I was appalled to learn of the antisemitism they
have to suffer, often on a daily basis. That was made worse by
the recent report into the National Union of Students’ handling
and challenging of antisemitism. In the month when we mark
Holocaust Memorial Day, I would be interested to hear the
Minister’s assessment of that NUS report.
I have been shocked and sobered by reading that report that the
NUS was in essence a hostile place for Jewish students. That is
not acceptable. The National Union of Students, the main body for
students, should be a place that is not just safe but welcoming
for Jewish students. The proof of the pudding with this report
will be in the eating; I expect to see the changes and the
recommendations implemented in full, and once that has occurred I
will re-engage with the National Union of Students.
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