Asked by
To ask His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to improve
the education system.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for
Education () (Con)
My Lords, our reforms over the last 12 years are reflected in our
highest ever scores in international tests in primary maths and
reading, which are the building blocks for attainment. We have
set out our ambitious plans for reform of education in the
schools White Paper, the Skills for Jobs White Paper and the
Skills and Post-16 Education Act, and we will publish a full
response to the SEND and AP Green Paper early in the new year.
(Con)
My Lords, I remind noble Lords of the important report published
by the Times Education Commission in June, which has attracted
widespread support—not least in this House, as a debate last
month showed. Should we not continue to bear in mind the powerful
case the commission makes for the introduction of a British
baccalaureate offering broader vocational and academic
qualifications at the age of 18, with parity of funding for both
routes? Will the Government now put such bold educational reform
at the centre of their strategy, drawing on the ideas in this
landmark report?
(Con)
The Government very much welcomed the report. Our strategy is
ambitious in all these areas. My noble friend will be aware that
my right honourable friend the Prime Minister has challenged the
department to consider how we can go further to ensure that every
young person receives the benefits of a broad and ambitious
education, so that every child has
“the best chance in life”
and can prepare
“to enter … a rapidly changing world.”
(Lab)
My Lords, the decision announced this week to reclassify further
education for borrowing and investment purposes into the public
sector has caused real concern. The £150 million allocated by the
Government for capital spending on the back of that is very
welcome, but perhaps the Minister can tell us whether that is new
money, and was it not extraordinary that two weeks ago the
Chancellor allocated no new money to learning and skills?
(Con)
The department is working very closely with the further education
sector to manage the transition that the noble Lord refers to. In
terms of funding for skills, we are investing £3.8 billion more
in further education and skills over the Parliament as a whole.
The (CB)
My Lords, does the Minister agree that without both a supportive
system, as the noble Lord, , has mentioned, and proper
funding we are in grave danger of losing those practical
subjects—not just art and design, music and drama but science
subjects, including chemistry—which require designated spaces and
equipment but are nevertheless an essential aspect of a child’s
educational experience?
(Con)
I would be happy to discuss this further with the noble Earl, but
when we look at the data on uptake of some of these practical
subjects, we can see very strong growth in computer science and
design and technology, particularly at A-level.
(LD)
My Lords, the Minister will be aware that for every child to have
the opportunities that she talks about it is important that we
identify those children with special educational needs at an
early age. She will also recall the Children and Families Act
2014, which we thought was going to be ground-breaking. Yet in
terms of special educational needs we see long delays, tribunals
or appeals systems costing millions, and Health not engaging. Can
the Minister tell us why a comprehensive post-legislative review
of the Act was eight years after it received Royal Assent?
(Con)
I am not aware of the details of the timing of the
post-legislative review but I point the noble Lord to the special
educational needs and disabilities and alternative provision
Green Paper, which the Government published and have consulted
on, in which we really strive to address many of the issues that
the noble Lord has raised; namely, that we should have a trusted,
non-antagonistic system that is fair and transparent that parents
feel confidence in and children can flourish in.
(Con)
My Lords—
(Non-Afl)
My Lords—
(Con)
My Lords—
(Lab)
My Lords—
(Con)
My Lords, I think it is the turn of the noble Lord, Lord Pearson,
followed by the noble Lord, Lord Baker.
(Non-Afl)
My Lords, I am most grateful. Can I ask the Minister whether the
Government are impressed by the ideas and achievements of
Katharine Birbalsingh? If so, what are they doing to see that her
methods are more widely followed in our state education system?
(Con)
Obviously, the Government appointed Katharine Birbalsingh as the
social mobility tsar, so I think that perhaps answers the noble
Lord’s question. More broadly, the principles she espouses of
aspiration for every child are upheld by the Government and
delivered in many of our schools and trusts.
(Con)
Does the Minister recall that in the two debates we had recently
on education and the curriculum in schools, every Peer who spoke
said there should be more technical and cultural subjects in the
curriculum next year? The Minister did not accept that at the
time but now that she has had time to reflect on it and to
discuss it with her colleagues, is she prepared to say that at
the beginning of the school year next September all children in
all schools will be taught lessons in computing, data skills,
coding, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence? That is where
all the jobs are and this is a programme that would help to fill
job vacancies, which the Government are not doing anything about.
(Con)
I really cannot accept what my noble friend has said about the
Government not doing anything about it. As I pointed out in the
recent debate, computing is part of the national curriculum. I
have already alluded to the rapid growth in the adoption at
A-level of computer science. My noble friend is aware of the
pioneering work that we are doing in relation to T-levels, which
are equipping children for the future.
of Darlington (Lab)
My Lords, all children need to be taught in a building that is
safe, warm and dry, but in May this year leaked documents
revealed that £13 billion of repairs to the school estate were
needed to rectify the deteriorating condition of some sites,
which present “a risk to life”. Does the Minister recognise
reports that the Treasury’s failure to invest in school repairs
is putting children’s lives at risk?
(Con)
The department continues to work extremely closely with the
Treasury on these matters. We have a substantial school
rebuilding programme and funding for capital and condition. Any
school that has urgent capital requirements can approach the
department, and we are very active in supporting them.
My Lords, the Schools Bill was partly intended to remove barriers
to enable church schools to fully embrace the journey towards
academisation. Given that there has been no further progress on
that Bill, what plan do the Government have for introducing the
legislative parts of that Bill that were broadly agreed and are
needed to secure the development of all schools?
(Con)
I will be able to update the House on the progress of the Schools
Bill in due course, but I agree with the right reverend Prelate.
The Government are very supportive of the faith sector, the
schools within it and their wish to academise in the most
constructive way possible.
(CB)
My Lords, is the Minister aware of the Law Society report calling
for a greater uptake of mathematics teaching to over-16s, only
15% of whom take mathematics? The same applies to science
subjects, where there is poor education for over-16s. If this
country has ambitions to be a science superpower, the teaching of
these subjects to over-16s is important.
(Con)
The Government are aware of the report and are committed to
developing all aspects of the STEM subjects. We are doing that
particularly in areas where recruitment is difficult, through the
provision of significant, £27,000 tax-free bursaries and
levelling-up premiums for staff working in those areas.
(Lab)
My Lords—
(Con)
My Lords—
(Con)
My Lords, we have run out of time but the noble Viscount, Lord
Stansgate, has been waiting for some time.
(Lab)
I thank the noble Baroness for that invitation. I endorse
everything that the noble Lord said in the previous question. My
question is: can the Minister explain to the House how the
Government justify a continuing policy of charitable status for
private schools, when the effect of that policy is to deny the
public purse much-needed money for all the points made by my
noble friend on the Front Bench?
(Con)
I repeat what my right honourable friend the Prime Minister said
earlier today when asked about this point. The Government have
just put an additional £4 billion into the core schools budget
over the next two years. We are absolutely focused on school
standards, and that is seen through the percentage of schools
that are good or outstanding, which now stands at 87%. We remain
committed to opportunity, not resentment.
