Education: Skills

Lord Martin of Springburn Excerpts

Wednesday 14th March 2012 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Wilcox]

The noble Lord is an expert on this subject and I think carefully about the answers that I give him. Yes, he had already given me sight of the Question he was going to ask. There is no evidence to suggest that the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act is not compliant with the Equality Act. The Equality and Human Rights Commission is a critical friend in order for us to be assured of continued compliance, and it stays alongside us. On tackling the colleges and providers, where a college or provider is not using appropriate access arrangements they may lose their right to deliver these qualifications as an approved centre. We will be watching that situation very carefully. Both English and mathematics, of course, are ongoing problems for people with dyslexia but, where barriers to access remain, as a last resort individuals can be exempted from up to two or three of the assessed components within the functions skills—I have checked this and found it to be right—speaking, listening, communication, reading and writing. In the last event, two or three of those components can be removed to make it as accessible as possible.

Perhaps I might add that the employers are very keen that everyone should have basic English and mathematics, and we know how difficult this is for many people with dyslexia. However, it is important, if we can, to keep people with disabilities and dyslexia inside the system and to help them to be as much a part of our community as everyone else. So, wherever it is possible to keep people inside the community, we will. I am sorry that my answer was long but the issue is important.

[Lord Martin of Springburn]

My Lords, does the Minister agree that many of our excellent tradesmen and tradeswomen would readily acknowledge that when they were young they were not too good at passing exams? We must be very careful when encouraging young people to come into apprenticeships that we do not make exams a barrier.