Covid-19: Educational Settings

Lord Empey Excerpts

Thursday 7th January 2021 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Berridge (Con)]

My Lords, there have been significant changes. As I just outlined, we hope we will carry forward certain changes if they are in the best interests of children. There will be a moment to reflect at some point on all the changes that have happened, on the use of online and where it is and is not appropriate. Our focus is on supporting staff and schools to deliver education and to focus on reopening our schools as soon as public health data allows us to.

[Lord Empey (UUP) [V]]

My Lords, by the time this pandemic is over, virtually two full academic years will have been severely disrupted. I served on the Select Committee of your Lordships’ House on food, poverty and the environment last year. It was very clear that a lot of very severely disadvantaged children were falling further and further behind. While I welcome my noble friend’s announcement about the provision of laptops and connectivity, she will know that a number of people will simply not have the expertise to use the equipment and there will be parts of the country where the signal will not be available. What provisions will be made for an emergency recovery plan when this pandemic is over to prevent these children completely falling out of society and having their life chances severely affected?

[Baroness Berridge (Con)]

My Lords, we are keenly aware of the effect that the closure of schools has, particularly on disadvantaged children. We are aware that school is a protective factor for many children and that schools are the second-largest referrers to children’s social care.

On disadvantaged children, the holiday activities fund will be in every local authority area from the Easter holidays. There is still also the winter Covid fund of £170 million until the end of March, which is being given to local authorities. That should cover any needs during February half term. The reasons the noble Lord outlined are why we have directed that schools should be in daily contact with children through the remote education they are delivering, so that any children who are struggling, particularly if they have mental health issues, can be brought into school at the discretion of the school leadership.

The Covid catch-up fund that I have outlined has been moved to remote provision. On getting data, the Renaissance Learning partnership, which is gathering information on lost time in education, is looking at how that can now be used now that we have this interruption to education again. We are keen to get the data as soon as we can.