Teachers: Music, Drama, Art and Design, and Dance

Debate between Lord Berkeley of Knighton and Baroness Smith of Malvern

Monday 17th November 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab)]

My noble friend is right that we have to deal with the previous Government’s underinvestment in teachers and the narrowing of the curriculum, which limited students’ ability to study music and art and design courses. However, I am pleased to say that we are making good progress on our pledge to deliver 6,500 more teachers. The workforce has grown by over 2,300, and we have a near-record low of teachers leaving the profession. When thinking about the additional funding that we provide for bursaries, we must consider the current position around recruitment. The good news is that we have seen a 53% increase in people starting postgraduate music teacher training in the past year. For that reason, we have decided not to continue the bursary this year. However, we are optimistic, given the figures that we have already seen and will publish in December, that course acceptances indicate that this improved recruitment will be at least maintained.

[Lord Berkeley of Knighton (CB)]

My Lords, the previous Government and this Government have recognised the problem that we have in getting teachers—for music in particular and for the arts generally. Therefore, it is very disappointing that the bursary for people wanting to train as music teachers has been cut to zero. For young people to follow on from people such as the Beatles, who have brought a huge amount into the economy, we need to invest in the next generation. That means teaching them to play instruments and to become the musicians of the future.

[Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab)]

I completely agree with the noble Lord. That is why, as well as investing in all teachers and seeing the results of teachers coming into the profession, we are making specific contributions by funding the over 40 music hubs, which exist across the country to support the very best teaching of music, and the music opportunities pilot. That will ensure that more young people, particularly those who are disadvantaged or who have special educational needs and disabilities, will be able to play an instrument or sing to a high standard.

Children: Dangers of Screen Time

Debate between Lord Berkeley of Knighton and Baroness Smith of Malvern

Monday 1st September 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab)]

The noble Earl has tempted me very far out of my policy area, I have to say. My understanding is that cinemas have seen a growth in people going to see films there. Certainly, I know that young people in my life are very keen to carry on going to the cinema as well as watching a whole variety of media in different ways on their screens. The important thing is that we have control over the content of what they are watching, and that is why the Online Safety Act is so important. As I said previously, we are also clear that excessive time spent on a screen can prevent you from doing a whole range of other things which are also fun and important for your life.

[Lord Berkeley of Knighton (CB)]

My Lords, does the Minister agree that if schools—especially those for younger children—were to place more emphasis on reading books, that would help ameliorate the problem to a certain extent? There is a follow-on problem in that many state schools, especially those for younger children, have very poor libraries, which need a lot more books.

[Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab)]

The noble Lord makes an important point about reading, which is why I am sure he is pleased that the Government have announced that 2026 will be a national year of reading, with lots of opportunities through our schools, communities and libraries for children to learn about the benefits of books and reading.

Independent Schools: Tax Changes

Debate between Lord Berkeley of Knighton and Baroness Smith of Malvern

Wednesday 25th June 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab)]

My Lords, this Government worry about people in all schools. My noble friend is right that as a Government we have a job to put right some of the underinvestment of the last Conservative Government and to deliver our pledge to ensure that there are 6,500 new specialist teachers in secondary and special schools. That is what we are focused on, and that is what we will be investing in.

[Lord Berkeley of Knighton (CB)]

My Lords, one of the welcome moves from private schools over recent years has been the extension of their facilities, cultural and sporting, to state schools. Have the Government made any assessment of the outcome for the state sector if they feel financially unable to continue with that?

[Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab)]

Of course, it is a good thing if private schools ensure that their facilities are on some occasions open to other people, not least because quite often—and certainly in the case of the town I live in—they occupy an enormously large part of the town. For schools with charitable status, it is in line with that that they demonstrate public benefit to retain it, and engaging in partnership activities with state-funded schools is one way in which they can do that. I hope that will continue for private schools.

Erasmus Programme

Debate between Lord Berkeley of Knighton and Baroness Smith of Malvern

Monday 20th January 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab)]

I am pleased that we are able to continue the Turing scheme for the coming year, with £105 million allocated this year. I will come back to the noble Baroness on the allocation for next year. My wish is that we make even further progress than has been the case this year on ensuring that those who can benefit from it are participants from disadvantaged backgrounds, who would not otherwise have that opportunity.

[Lord Berkeley of Knighton (CB)]

My Lords, I certainly welcome the Turing scheme, but it is not the same thing as Erasmus. The important thing about Erasmus is that it is not just about education; as we have heard, it is about the wider cultural exchange of ideas. With respect, I do not think that the Minister answered my noble friend Lord Clancarty’s question about reciprocity. We do not accept people from abroad. Is that not surely the whole nature of an exchange of ideas?

[Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab)]

I talked about the considerable benefits that come to our country and our higher education system from the ability of international students to come to study in the UK. We are also committed as a department to ensuring school visits and other opportunities for exchange. We can, where possible, eradicate some of the challenges that have arisen in relation to children going to experience visits in the rest of Europe and to students being able to come to the UK. Of course, we recognise the benefit that comes from language assistants, for example, being able to come to the UK. I do not think it is true that I have not recognised that, but that is different from committing to a specific programme at this point in the UK’s reset with the EU.

Curriculum and Assessment Review

Debate between Lord Berkeley of Knighton and Baroness Smith of Malvern

Monday 18th November 2024 Lords Chamber

[Lord Berkeley of Knighton (CB)]

My Lords, in addition to the subjects being considered, will the review look at the provision of the infrastructure behind them—for example, libraries for books and, for music, peripatetic teachers, instruments and music itself?

[Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab)]

Notwithstanding the very difficult financial situation that this Government inherited, we are committed—