Volunteering: Young People
Debate between Baroness Evans of Bowes Park and Baroness Garden of Frognal
Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
First, I wish the right reverend Prelate a happy birthday. Certainly, the Government are very keen to work with as many partners as possible. We are doing this through the Step Up To Serve #iwill campaign. We are working with organisations such as City Year UK, vInspired and Volunteering Matters, and we would be happy to work with any organisation that would like to help us deliver this really important social agenda.
Baroness Garden of Frognal (LD)
In order to get the most from volunteering, it is essential that employers and educational institutions recognise the skills and experience that young people acquire through high-quality social action. I wonder what consideration the Government have given to creating a legal status for voluntary service years similar to that in the United States, in order to support volunteering schemes such as those run by City Year UK, which the Minister has just mentioned.
Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
We are very committed to ensuring that young people in particular undertake social action because we know the impact it can have. For instance, 90% of National Citizen Service participants felt more positive about people from different backgrounds; seven in 10 felt more confident about getting a job; 80% have learned something new about themselves; and 90% felt the NCS had helped them develop key skills for the future. It is obviously extremely important both personally but also to the local communities that these young people live in. Of course, a number of organisations that I have mentioned already offer a year in volunteering, so that option is available to young people if they wish to take it up.
Universities: Anti-Semitism
Debate between Baroness Evans of Bowes Park and Baroness Garden of Frognal
Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
I completely agree that freedom of speech and academic freedom are the bedrock of our higher education system. We fully support universities that show strong leadership in allowing controversial and sometimes offensive ideas to be aired, but most importantly debated, to make sure that universities are doing what they should be doing, which is robustly challenging theories and making sure that students can argue and talk down hatred that is being perpetuated.
Baroness Garden of Frognal (LD)
My Lords, the life-changing referendum result indicates a nation which is less tolerant and less accepting of diversity. What dialogue is the Minister having with universities to ensure that a proper complaints procedure is in place so that anyone suffering from anti-Semitism knows exactly where they can go?
Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
As I said in a previous answer, the Minister for Universities and Science has specifically asked the Universities UK task force to consider some specific actions. One is improved collection of data about incidents, so we can make sure we understand the scale of the problem, and another concerns the importance of a complaints procedure that protects the identity of students who are fearful of coming forward. The task force is planning to provide a range of recommendations and actions to Ministers in the autumn. Universities UK is planning a national conference post-the publication of those recommendations, in November, so that there can be a full discussion of the issues that it has found in the evidence it is collecting.
Schools: Modern Languages
Debate between Baroness Evans of Bowes Park and Baroness Garden of Frognal
Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
As I have said, we are seeing an increase in the number of pupils studying languages and we want that to continue. I certainly agree with the noble Lord about the importance, and in fact the value, of modern languages to young people in the global economy. Businesses greatly value language skills, which is why we are increasing the amount of training and help that we provide to teachers in order to teach modern languages curricula. Across a number of projects we have invested £1.8 million around the country to help schools to support one another in order to ensure that teachers are able to teach modern languages to the highest standard, because, as we know, inspirational teachers are the ones who really help young people to achieve and excel in their subjects.
Baroness Garden of Frognal (LD)
My Lords, the Minister has referred to the welcome increase in the take-up of GCSEs in modern languages, but there has been a dramatic fall in take-up at A-level, with a consequent knock-on effect on university places and of course the start of a vicious circle there. What specific measures will the Government take to promote an increase in the number of A-levels in modern languages being taken?
Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
Again, I am pleased to say that A-level entries in modern languages have increased by nearly 4% since 2014, but I accept the point that we need to do more. Obviously through its support for strategically important subjects, HEFCE has invested £3.1 million in trying to increase student interest in modern languages. That includes engaging with employers to stimulate demand, promoting the employability of graduates, and increasing the participation of students in spending a year abroad. Although universities are autonomous, a number of them offer free language courses to students studying other subjects. Particularly in science, for instance, a number of universities offer chemistry with, say, German in order to encourage more young people to keep up their language skills.
Universities: Freedom of Speech
Debate between Baroness Evans of Bowes Park and Baroness Garden of Frognal(8 years, 9 months ago)
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Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
Universities are autonomous bodies. As I have already said, students and academics have the right to protest peacefully, and we cannot quash freedom of speech. That is why, as I said, we will be supporting universities and making sure that legitimate, lawful debate can take place, that people have their views heard and that views that people may find offensive are robustly challenged.
Baroness Garden of Frognal (LD)
What dialogue have the Government had with universities to support freedom of speech, while implementing the guidance that university events should be cancelled unless the authorities are entirely convinced that the risk that views could draw people into terrorism can be fully mitigated?
Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
We have ongoing discussions with universities. All universities submitted the first self-assessment form following the introduction of the Prevent statutory duty in January, and this will be followed in the spring by detailed assessments of their policies and procedures.
Higher Education: Disabled Students
Debate between Baroness Evans of Bowes Park and Baroness Garden of Frognal
Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
As I have already mentioned, our higher education institutions have a responsibility under the Equality Act 2010, and we are working closely with them to ensure that disabled students continue to get the high-quality support they need. We have seen the institutional income of universities go up from £23 billion to nearly £24.5 billion, and it is forecast to go to £31 billion by 2017-18. We believe that it is right that the responsibility for supporting disabled students, whom both we and universities want to encourage to attend, is spread between universities and the Government.
Baroness Garden of Frognal (LD)
Following on from the question of the noble Baroness, can I press the Minister on support for disabled part-time students? There are real concerns that these cuts will have a disproportionate effect on them. What safeguards are the Government putting in place to ensure that these students are not disadvantaged from going on to further study?
Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
Disabled students’ allowances are not disappearing; they are simply being refocused on more specialist help, with universities taking on some of the responsibility for some help. For the first time, we are instituting an exceptional cases process so that if a student is in dispute with the university about the reasonable adjustments they believe should be implemented, they are not disadvantaged. That is a new process to make sure that no student suffers.
Professional and Career Development Loans
Debate between Baroness Evans of Bowes Park and Baroness Garden of Frognal
Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
Over 250,000 people have been lent over £1.1 billion since 1988 under these loans. But the noble Viscount will be aware that the Government have just closed their consultation on a new postgraduate loan, which specifically targets postgraduates. This would be the first time that such a loan would be introduced. We are due to publish the response and final scope of that policy in the autumn, but the NUS vice-president has welcomed it, saying that it is step in the right direction, and the chief executive of Universities UK has said that it is good news so we are certainly doing what we can in this area. This new loan will be extremely welcome.
Baroness Garden of Frognal (LD)
Will the Minister say what the Government are doing to work with universities to ensure that qualified UK postgraduates are encouraged to continue their academic careers—particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds—and not deterred by unacceptable fee levels and the costs of loans?
Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
Well, as I said, obviously the professional career development loans exist at the moment, but the new postgraduate loan, which has been welcomed across the sector, will come in shortly. The consultation has closed and the full scope of that policy will be announced later in the autumn. Certainly, encouraging further study and making sure that everyone has access to the training and education they need are at the forefront of the Government’s mind.
Student Loans
Debate between Baroness Evans of Bowes Park and Baroness Garden of Frognal(9 years, 4 months ago)
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Baroness Garden of Frognal
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the part-time higher education sector in England of extending loans to students with Equivalent or Lower Qualifications in certain subjects.
Baroness Evans of Bowes Park (Con)
The UK is a world leader in science and innovation, having the most productive science base in the G7. To continue to support this investment we announced a relaxation of the student support rules for those taking a second degree in part-time engineering, technology and computer science courses. This comes into force in the 2015-16 academic year, so it is too early to assess the impact of the policy.
Baroness Garden of Frognal (LD)
My Lords, while that is some good news, the UK’s current skills shortage can be met only if adults reskill and retrain to meet that shortage. On the advice of the CBI and in the interests of productivity, will the Government consider reviewing the whole policy introduced by Labour in 2008-09 and reinstating loans for ELQ students? If not, what other support are they offering in the other sectors?
Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
I agree with the noble Baroness that providing opportunities for adults to reskill is important. However, university alone is not the only route to do this or to help us meet the productivity challenges ahead. She will be aware, for instance, that apprenticeships are not just for young people. In fact, last year, more than half of higher apprentices were over the age of 25. This Government have ambitious plans to deliver more than 3 million apprenticeships, including at degree level, over this Parliament. Just last week, the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre announced a pioneering new education route for successful apprentices to study advanced vocational university degrees as part of their training.