Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of the responses by the University and College Union and relevant university authorities to complaints by students of anti-Semitism and violence perpetrated by fellow students and staff.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is deeply concerned about the growth in antisemitic incidents on campus since the 7 October terrorist attacks against Israel and this government takes antisemitism extremely seriously. Departmental officials have assessed evidence of antisemitism and racial hatred linked to incidents at English universities. There is an online "Reporting Extremism" page from where members of the public can raise concerns to the department directly. Where concerns have arisen, officials have reached out to relevant universities to understand what actions they have taken, including reporting issues to the police where appropriate.
The department is also concerned to see antisemitic motions being passed at some universities. The department urges universities to crack down on inflammatory, politically motivated displays of support for a proscribed terrorist organisation, and on demonstrations which make Jewish staff and students feel unsafe.
My right hon. Friend, The Secretary of State for Education and my right hon. Friend, the Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education (HE), wrote to all schools, colleges and universities on 11 October, urging them to respond swiftly to hate-related incidents and actively reassure Jewish students that they can study without fear of harassment or intimidation. Minister Halfon wrote again to Vice Chancellors on 16 November, further emphasising the use of disciplinary measures and the importance of police engagement, as well as the suspension of student visas where the student is a foreign national and requested that the universities review its policies and procedures to ensure that they remain fit for purpose at this challenging time. This was one of the key actions set out in the five-point plan for tackling antisemitism in HE, which was published on 5 November. A link to more information can be found here: https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2023/11/05/how-were-protecting-jewish-students-on-university-campuses/.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that children are not absent from school to take part in protests.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is clear that missing school for events such as political protests is unacceptable and should not be condoned.
The department monitors events closely and has recently written to all schools and local authorities supporting leaders and teachers in taking firm action when necessary. The department encourages schools and local authorities to set clear expectations to parents on attendance and has confirmed that absence for this kind of activity should be treated as unauthorised. The department is clear that school leaders and local authorities should be enforcing attendance policies, and they should take immediate action where these policies have been breached. In the most egregious cases this can mean fines or prosecution. The department has shared this communication with Ofsted to ensure all inspectors are clear on the position.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Rebecca Tuck KC Independent Investigation into Allegations of Antisemitism within NUS, published on 12 January; and what discussions they have had with the National Union of Students about the implementation of those recommendations.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This is a shocking and sobering report showing that the National Union of Students (NUS) has in effect been a hostile place for Jewish students. This is not acceptable. NUS should be a place that is not just safe for Jewish students, but welcoming as well. The department expects the recommendations will be implemented in full and will be monitoring this process. Once that has occurred, the Minister will re-engage with NUS.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the speech by the Minister for Higher and Further Education on 24 February regarding their response to Dr Philip Augar's Review of Post-18 Education and Funding, published in May 2019, what assessment they have made of the impact on their (1) social mobility policy, and (2) Levelling Up policy, of (a) the decision not to restore maintenance grants for university students, and (b) the extension of the tuition fee loan repayment period.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government is committed to levelling up and true social mobility. Our higher education (HE) reforms will help ensure that students are doing courses that give them the skills and knowledge to move into high-value employment that benefits both them and our dynamic economy. The HE system must be supported to do this, which is why we are putting in almost £900 million of new investment into HE over the next three years, including the largest increase in government funding for the sector to support students and teaching in over a decade.
Our changes to student loans will make the system more sustainable and fairer for students and taxpayers, while continuing to enable anyone with the ability and the ambition to benefit from HE to do so. There will be up to £75 million to deliver a new national state scholarship to support high-achieving disadvantaged students. We have previously announced that maximum maintenance loans will be increased by 2.3% in academic year 2022/23, following a 3.1% increase in 2021/22, taking the support available for the lowest-income students to record levels in cash terms.
A full assessment of the impacts of the HE reform policies and proposals, including changes to student loans and their regional impacts, has been conducted and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-reform-equality-impact-assessment.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish their response to the Children not in school consultation, which ran from 2 April 2019 to 24 June 2019; and whether they plan to introduce the register of children educated otherwise than at mainstream schools outlined in that consultation.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department remains committed to a form of local authority register for children not in school. We will set out further details on this in the government response to the ‘children not in school’ consultation, which we will publish in the coming weeks.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Ofsted Chief Inspector's call for (1) a register of children being home educated, and (2) stronger legislation to enable the closing down of illegal schools.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department agrees with the Ofsted Chief Inspector’s call for a form of register for children not in school, and is committed to this. We will set out further details on this in the government response to the ‘Children Not in School’ consultation, which we will publish in the coming months.
The department has previously committed to taking forward measures to make it easier for Ofsted to investigate and gather evidence of breaches of section 96 of the Education and Skills Act 2008, and prosecute those responsible for running unregistered schools, including in the 2019 Integrated Communities Action Plan. Such measures are planned to be taken forward when a suitable legislative opportunity arises.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of children who have been subjected to (1) serious abuse, or (2) corporal punishment, in (a) unregistered, or (b) illegal, religious schools since 2013.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Any educational institution which provides full-time provision to 5 or more pupils of compulsory school age (or one or more pupils of compulsory school age who is ‘looked after’ or has an education, health and care plan) is required to register with the Secretary of State for Education as a school. It is a criminal offence under section 96 of the Education and Skills Act 2008 to conduct an independent educational institution unless it is registered.
The existing definition of full-time education does not capture education providers which offer only a narrow curriculum even if this teaching takes place throughout all, or most, of the school day.
The consultation on regulating independent educational institutions included proposals to consider how to expand on the categories of full-time institutions that will be regulated in the same way that independent schools are currently regulated, and to change the definition of independent schools in primary legislation to incorporate such education providers. Taking forward the proposals would bring a range of currently unregistered institutions under the independent education regulatory regime.
The government remains committed to changing the law on the registration of independent educational institutions. We repeated that commitment in the department’s evidence to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, and we welcomed the recommendation when the report was recently published.
Publication of the response to the regulating independent educational institutions consultation is expected in early 2022.
The department has not made any estimate of the number of children attending or who have left unregistered schools. Those conducting an unregistered school are committing a criminal offence and they do not generally inform the department about the school’s operation. The same principle applies to the number of children who have suffered serious abuse or corporal punishment at an unregistered school.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of children that have left unregistered religious schools lacking (1) basic skills, or (2) qualifications, since 2013.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Any educational institution which provides full-time provision to 5 or more pupils of compulsory school age (or one or more pupils of compulsory school age who is ‘looked after’ or has an education, health and care plan) is required to register with the Secretary of State for Education as a school. It is a criminal offence under section 96 of the Education and Skills Act 2008 to conduct an independent educational institution unless it is registered.
The existing definition of full-time education does not capture education providers which offer only a narrow curriculum even if this teaching takes place throughout all, or most, of the school day.
The consultation on regulating independent educational institutions included proposals to consider how to expand on the categories of full-time institutions that will be regulated in the same way that independent schools are currently regulated, and to change the definition of independent schools in primary legislation to incorporate such education providers. Taking forward the proposals would bring a range of currently unregistered institutions under the independent education regulatory regime.
The government remains committed to changing the law on the registration of independent educational institutions. We repeated that commitment in the department’s evidence to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, and we welcomed the recommendation when the report was recently published.
Publication of the response to the regulating independent educational institutions consultation is expected in early 2022.
The department has not made any estimate of the number of children attending or who have left unregistered schools. Those conducting an unregistered school are committing a criminal offence and they do not generally inform the department about the school’s operation. The same principle applies to the number of children who have suffered serious abuse or corporal punishment at an unregistered school.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish their response to the Regulating independent educational institutions consultation, which ran from 14 February 2020 to 27 November 2020.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Any educational institution which provides full-time provision to 5 or more pupils of compulsory school age (or one or more pupils of compulsory school age who is ‘looked after’ or has an education, health and care plan) is required to register with the Secretary of State for Education as a school. It is a criminal offence under section 96 of the Education and Skills Act 2008 to conduct an independent educational institution unless it is registered.
The existing definition of full-time education does not capture education providers which offer only a narrow curriculum even if this teaching takes place throughout all, or most, of the school day.
The consultation on regulating independent educational institutions included proposals to consider how to expand on the categories of full-time institutions that will be regulated in the same way that independent schools are currently regulated, and to change the definition of independent schools in primary legislation to incorporate such education providers. Taking forward the proposals would bring a range of currently unregistered institutions under the independent education regulatory regime.
The government remains committed to changing the law on the registration of independent educational institutions. We repeated that commitment in the department’s evidence to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, and we welcomed the recommendation when the report was recently published.
Publication of the response to the regulating independent educational institutions consultation is expected in early 2022.
The department has not made any estimate of the number of children attending or who have left unregistered schools. Those conducting an unregistered school are committing a criminal offence and they do not generally inform the department about the school’s operation. The same principle applies to the number of children who have suffered serious abuse or corporal punishment at an unregistered school.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to legislate to close the loopholes that enable unregistered but de facto full-time educational settings to avoid registration.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Any educational institution which provides full-time provision to 5 or more pupils of compulsory school age (or one or more pupils of compulsory school age who is ‘looked after’ or has an education, health and care plan) is required to register with the Secretary of State for Education as a school. It is a criminal offence under section 96 of the Education and Skills Act 2008 to conduct an independent educational institution unless it is registered.
The existing definition of full-time education does not capture education providers which offer only a narrow curriculum even if this teaching takes place throughout all, or most, of the school day.
The consultation on regulating independent educational institutions included proposals to consider how to expand on the categories of full-time institutions that will be regulated in the same way that independent schools are currently regulated, and to change the definition of independent schools in primary legislation to incorporate such education providers. Taking forward the proposals would bring a range of currently unregistered institutions under the independent education regulatory regime.
The government remains committed to changing the law on the registration of independent educational institutions. We repeated that commitment in the department’s evidence to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, and we welcomed the recommendation when the report was recently published.
Publication of the response to the regulating independent educational institutions consultation is expected in early 2022.
The department has not made any estimate of the number of children attending or who have left unregistered schools. Those conducting an unregistered school are committing a criminal offence and they do not generally inform the department about the school’s operation. The same principle applies to the number of children who have suffered serious abuse or corporal punishment at an unregistered school.