Higher Education: Creative Courses

Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie Excerpts

Wednesday 26th February 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab)]

I very strongly agree with my noble friend that we need both. This Government believe that creative subjects, such as art, music and drama, are important elements of the rounded and enriching education that every child deserves. That is why we expect part of the response to the curriculum and assessment review to be to enable that broader curriculum that my noble friend references, so that children and young people are able to gain the benefits of that broad, knowledge-based education and the particular benefits of creative subjects.

[Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie (Con)]

My Lords, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is the only UK performing arts conservatoire in the top 10 of the QS world rankings outside London, yet its funding model has a built-in disincentive for it to accept students from the rest of the UK. The equivalent London colleges receive a minimum additional uplift of £8,000 per under- graduate on top of regular fees. What can the Minister do to ensure that all our world-class conservatoires across the UK can offer a financial level playing field for talented students?

[Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab)]

I cannot necessarily take responsibility for what is happening in Scotland, but I can say that we recognise the particular need for support for small and specialist providers. That is why we have maintained the strategic priorities grant for those providers at £58 million this year. As I said, 12 of those are creative and performing arts providers, where that additional support enables their very specific but internationally important provision to continue.