Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that rising university tuition fees do not exclude students from the poorest households.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
The government is committed to supporting the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to go to university. The student finance system removes upfront financial barriers so that everyone with the ability and desire to enter higher education (HE) can do so.
Tuition fees will increase in line with inflation for the 2025/26 academic year for new and continuing full-time, part-time and accelerated degree domestic undergraduate students. HE providers are autonomous and responsible for setting their own fees under this level. In deciding to keep charging full fees, providers will want to ensure that they can continue to deliver courses which are fit for purpose and help students progress their qualifications.
Eligible students will be able to apply for upfront loans to meet the full costs of their tuition. Student loan borrowers will not see their monthly repayments increase as a result of this change, because monthly repayments depend on earnings, not on interest rates or the amount borrowed. Student loan borrowers are protected. Borrowers only make repayments when earning over the relevant student loan repayment threshold. At the end of the loan term, any outstanding loan debt, including interest accrued, will be written off, with no detriment to the borrower.
Borrowers who would be forecast not to repay their loans in full under the 2024/25 academic year fee and maintenance levels will see no increase to their lifetime student loan repayments.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Ukie report Supercharged: Powering the future of the UK video game and interactive entertainment industry, published on 11 September, what assessment they have made of the recommendation contained in that report to create a new Digital Creativity GCSE.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
To help break down barriers to opportunity, this government will deliver a curriculum which is rich and broad, inclusive and innovative, and ensures that all young people get the opportunity to learn digital and creative skills as part of their education. To meet this ambition, the government announced an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review on 19 July, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. As part of its work, the review will look at whether the current assessment system, including qualification pathways, can be improved for young people aged 5 to 18, while protecting the important role of examinations. The review group has recently launched a call for evidence, which sets out key questions and themes where it would particularly welcome input.
Information about how to respond to the call for evidence, or to register to join a live event, is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/curriculum-and-assessment-review. The call for evidence is open until 22 November 2024, and the review will publish its recommendations in 2025. Ministers will then consider any changes to curriculum and qualifications in the light of these recommendations.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to facilitate and encourage education in the areas of (1) cybersecurity, and (2) AI-driven skills.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
The government’s ambition is for a curriculum that delivers excellent foundations in reading, writing and maths, and ensures every young person gets the opportunity to develop creative, digital, and speaking and listening skills. To achieve this, the government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE, who is an expert in education policy, which will take on board the views of experts, parents, teachers and leaders in making recommendations. The review will consider how children will acquire the key digital skills needed for future life, throughout their educational journey.
This government also provides a range of academic and technical qualifications relevant to cybersecurity and AI skills.
To provide a basis for further study and careers in digital, including in AI and cybersecurity, the computing curriculum ensures that pupils are taught the principles of information and computation, how digital systems work and how to put this knowledge to use through programming. The department has invested significantly in the National Centre for Computing Education to improve the teaching of computing and increase participation in computer science at GCSE and A level.
Developed in partnership with employers, there are currently 33 apprenticeship standards spanning Levels 3 to 7 in digital occupations, including at degree level and in areas like cyber and AI. The department’s reformed growth and skills levy will deliver greater flexibility for learners and employers and is aligned with its industrial strategy to create routes into good, skilled jobs in growing industries, including in digital.
Learners can study three Digital T Levels which include cyber and AI content, and there are 77 Higher Technical Qualifications approved and quality marked as providing the skills demanded in the workplace by employers, including cyber and AI skills. Furthermore, the majority of Skills Bootcamps are in the digital sector, with 61% of starts in 2022/23 being in digital.
Across government, the new Industrial Strategy will channel support to eight growth-driving sectors in which the UK excels today and will propel it forwards tomorrow. Digital technologies have been identified as one of the eight growth-driving sectors and the department is currently consulting on the barriers to growth, including skills, in this sector. Furthermore, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology has commissioned an AI Opportunities Action Plan which will set out the essential role that equipping the UK’s workforce with the right skills and attracting top talent will play in supporting the growth of the AI sector.
The government also supports young people to build their tech skills through extracurricular initiatives. For example, the CyberFirst programme delivered by Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the National Cyber Security Centre is designed to help students aged 11 to 25 build their cyber and tech skills through a range of initiatives including competitions, an online gamified learning platform and undergraduate bursaries. The programme is supported by over 250 industry, academia and government partners and has reached over 360,000 students so far.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure sufficient state school places are available following the imposition of VAT on private schools.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
In line with research from the independent Institute for Fiscal Studies the government does not anticipate the ending of the VAT exemption that private schools enjoy to prompt notable movement into the state sector, and any movement is expected to take place over several years. This research is attached and can also be found here: https://ifs.org.uk/publications/tax-private-school-fees-and-state-school-spending.
There is significant spare capacity in existing state schools. The department collects pupil forecasts and school capacity data from local authorities annually through the school capacity survey and this data shows that in May 2023, 11.7% of primary capacity and 11.5% of secondary capacity was unfilled nationally, meaning school places are available in many parts of the country. The department will monitor demand and capacity using its normal processes and continue to work with local authorities to meet any pressures.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address teacher shortages.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
High quality teaching is the factor that makes the biggest difference to a child’s education. There are now 468,693 full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers in state-funded schools in England, but we must do more to ensure we have the workforce needed to provide the best possible education for every child in all parts of the country, which is why the government has set out the ambition to recruit 6,500 new expert teachers with a focus on key shortage subjects.
The first crucial step towards achieving this is to ensure teachers get the pay they deserve, which is why the department has accepted in full the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendation of a 5.5% pay award for teachers and leaders in maintained schools from this September.
The department wants to ensure teaching is once again an attractive and respected profession. It is committed to resetting the relationship with the teaching profession. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has already spoken to various stakeholders and teachers working at the front end and continues to do so. The department is now developing the Social Partnership to work more closely with the sector unions to ensure they have a stronger voice on policies that affect their work.
Alongside teacher pay, financial incentives are one of the most effective ways to increase teacher supply, and we are continuing to support teacher trainees with tax-free bursaries of up to £28,000 and scholarships of up to £30,000 in shortage subjects. For 2024/25 and 2025/26, we are also offering a Targeted Retention Incentive worth up to £6,000 after tax for mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing teachers in the first five years of their careers who choose to work in disadvantaged schools.
Recruiting more teachers is a key part of the department’s Opportunity Mission. This government is also committed to tackling long standing retention challenges to ensure teachers stay and thrive in the profession, including by addressing teacher workload and wellbeing, and supporting schools to introduce flexible working practices. The department has made key resources available to help teachers better manage their workload.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that universities remain and do not close down despite financial difficulties.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
The department is committed to creating a secure future for our world-leading universities so they can deliver for students, taxpayers, workers and the economy. The government has already started reviewing options to deliver a more robust higher education (HE) sector but it will take time to get it right.
Sir David Behan has been appointed as interim Chair of the Office for Students (OfS) to oversee the important work of refocusing their role to concentrate on key priorities, including prioritising the financial stability of the HE sector.
However, the government recognises the immediate financial strain that some providers are under and is working closely with the OfS to monitor any risks and to ensure students' best interests are protected.
Ultimately, HE providers are independent from the government and therefore it is their responsibility to ensure they have a sustainable business model.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the protection of families and young children, particularly in light of (1) the decrease in local authority spending on early intervention services, and (2) the rising number of children in residential care.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
The department recognises that there is a strong evidence base for early intervention to support families stay together and thrive. This will be at the heart of this government’s system reform of children’s social care.
Through the £45 million Families First for Children Pathfinder and Family Network Pilot, the department is testing the implementation of intensive whole-family support in 10 pathfinder local authorities, where multi-disciplinary teams are providing targeted support to help families overcome challenges at the earliest opportunity, to prevent escalation, to keep children safe and help families to overcome challenges, stay together and thrive. The pathfinder is being independently evaluated. Early evaluation findings are expected in spring 2025.
The department recognises that there are increasing numbers of children in high cost, residential placements. Whilst many children benefit from high quality children’s homes, for too many children, residential placements do not meet their needs and are putting significant pressures on local authority budgets. This is why the department is committed to supporting alternatives to care for children who cannot stay with their birth parents, such as kinship arrangements. Through the Family’s First for Children pathfinder and Family Network Pilot, the department aims to make greater use of family networks, involving them in decision-making at an earlier stage, and providing practical and financial support via family network support packages to help keep children safe at home.
Furthermore, foster carers play a vital role in the care system, offering stable, nurturing, and loving family environments. However, in recent years the number of people applying to be foster carers has dropped significantly. The department is addressing this through a suite of measures. Key among these is the creation of a regional approach where 99 local authorities are working in 10 regional clusters, collaborating to recruit and retain foster carers.
This government is introducing a Children’s Wellbeing Bill to support these reforms, including through a strengthened multi-agency response. The department will also take targeted action on specific harms such as child criminal and sexual exploitation.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address the skills gap through the establishment of Skills England; and how they will measure the effectiveness of this new body.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
Skills England will identify current and future skills gaps and put in place plans to address those gaps, bringing together central and local government, businesses, training providers and unions to meet the skills needs of the next decade across all regions.
Skills England will:
Having a close relationship with the key organisations needed to bring coherence to the skills system will enable Skills England to identify and address challenges efficiently and effectively.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any potential benefits of using artificial intelligence to develop skills for the workplace.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform society. The department wants to capitalise on the opportunities that technology, such as AI, presents for education, as well as addressing its risks and challenges.
When used appropriately, technology (including generative AI), has the potential to reduce workload across the education sector, and free up teachers’ time, allowing them to focus on delivering excellent teaching.
The department wants schools, colleges, universities and families to have digestible rigorous evidence on education technology products at their fingertips so that they can effectively choose and implement technology. This includes the use of generative AI in educational settings.
The department is building the evidence base for how generative AI is best used in education and learning from the experience and expertise of the sector. The department published the response to our call for evidence on generative AI in education on 28 November 2023. The department is working with Faculty Science Ltd in partnership and the National Institute of Teaching to run a Generative AI Hackathons project. The department has endowed the Education Endowment Foundation, an independent charity, with a further £137 million to encourage innovative and effective evidence-based teaching, including using technology.
The department is ensuring everyone has the essential digital skills they need to engage with modern technology. In August 2020, the department introduced a new digital entitlement to fully fund adults to study towards an essential digital skills qualification, up to Level 1, and from September 2023, digital functional skills qualifications. These qualifications give adults the essential digital skills they need to participate actively in modern day life, work and further study.
To support the UK’s development of AI talent, the department are creating 1000 new AI PhDs through Centres for Doctoral Training, with £117 million of government investment.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to provide detailed surveys to identify issues such as asbestos and unstable concrete before purchasing sites for free schools.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
LocatED is the government owned property company responsible for buying and developing free school sites. The department works closely with LocatED and remains committed to acquiring suitable, safe and affordable sites in order to deliver new school places.
Technical experts carry out due diligence prior to acquisition to make sure sites are safe. The risks associated with these sites are taken into full consideration as part of the acquisition process. This is in line with standard industry practice.