Topical Questions

Question

If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities, noting the UK's education export is valued at over £25 billion and the Education World Forum has attracted significant international interest with 132 Education Ministers in attendance from around the world.

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Last week I received an email from a parent on Holbeck Avenue in Bolsover saying there is no 6th form available at The Bolsover School and pupils have expensive bus rides to other schools. Does my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State share my passion for ensuring post-16 education in the Bolsover constituency?

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The Schools Bill gives the Secretary of State sweeping powers over the operation of our schools. Does that mean that he recognises that the Government's approach to school improvement over the past 12 years has failed?

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Headteachers are telling us they are having to cut back on staffing, school trips and even pens and paper. As costs soar and the national insurance rise comes into effect, the Secretary of State is still failing to invest in our children's recovery. Experts have lined up to tell him the damage his inaction will cause, not just to our children's future but to Britain's future success. What will it take to convince him to put our children first?

Question

Apprenticeships are a terrific opportunity for those with learning difficulties, due to the vocational nature of the training, but we need more such opportunities. Where there is a surplus of funding from the apprenticeship levy allowance, will the Minister consider directing it at incentivising smaller companies to provide apprenticeships, thereby ensuring parity of opportunity for those with learning difficulties, such as those with 22q11 deletion syndrome?

Question

This Government's oven-ready Brexit deal allows the UK to associate with Horizon Europe, but because of the faffing around over their Northern Ireland protocol, there is still no certainty about this association. When will this Government stop treating research as a Brexit bargaining chip and provide assurance to our researchers that funding and collaboration are safe?

Question

Burton and South Derbyshire College is a fantastic example of a higher education facility using innovative learning techniques to inspire and train tomorrow's scientists and engineers. Will the Secretary of State commit to investing more in higher education facilities to ensure that young people get the learning and experience they need to progress into sought-after, well-paid careers?

Question

A few minutes ago, the Minister told the House what the Government are doing about pre-school childcare, but what does he say to families in constituencies like mine, where the financial benefits of going into work are swallowed up by childcare costs, or people do not even access childcare because they cannot afford to?

Question

The decision to scrap grammar schools was once described as a real tragedy for this country... they are a very important part of the mix in our educational system... and they should be supported. I completely agree with the Prime Minister and I am glad that the Secretary of State is also so supportive, saying that he wants to spread the DNA of grammar schools across the education system and give them a special status to retain academic selection in the upcoming Schools Bill, but it is not right that children in Teesside and Stoke-on-Trent do not have the same opportunities as a child in Kent or Stratford-upon-Avon, so will the Government support my right hon. Friend's views?

Question

Last week, the Government published a list of BTECs that they intend to scrap, and impact assessments show that 27% of BTEC students are deemed the most disadvantaged. I was one of those students, and a BTEC got me back into education and on to university. T-levels will not appeal to all those students. Assessors are making decisions affecting the lives of thousands of young people, so can the Minister confirm who these assessors actually are?

Question

I was reminded, on a recent visit to the excellent Warrender Primary School in my constituency, how important schools are to safeguarding. Can my right hon. Friend tell me what plans will be put in place, through the schools White Paper, to ensure that schools continue to play a central part in statutory safeguarding arrangements?

Question

Universities right across the UK have been teaming up with our counterparts in Ukraine, not only to try to ensure that institutions still exist when the war is over, but to deliver lectures to students virtually. What discussions has the Minister had with his colleagues across Government about supporting this impressive initiative, so that it can continue?

Question

Farming has a very important role in my constituency, and I am amazed by the amount of technical knowledge that is needed these days. What more can the Department do to introduce an interest in farming in schools?

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In my constituency, there are simply not enough school places for children with special educational needs. What is really needed is a new school to increase capacity. What conversations has the Department held with local authorities to establish in which areas there is the most need for special schools, and where a new school would deliver the most benefit?

Question

Last Friday was the 36th anniversary of the rebel amendment in the House of Lords proposed by Lady Cox, which banned the indoctrination of schoolchildren with partisan political views. Does the Secretary of State accept that the concept of anti-nuclear education, and of anti-imperialist education, which led to that ban, are to be compared with the concepts of vicious identity politics and of the decolonisation of subjects, which rightly fall foul of the legislation he cited?

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The Government's programme fails to address shocking levels of child deprivation and inequality. What discussions have you had with the Chancellor for emergency interventions?

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The school requires funding for new buildings instead of temporary repairs. Will the Schools Minister meet me to secure funds?

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What steps is the Secretary of State taking to ensure that rural schools stay open?

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How does the Secretary of State plan to improve the partnership between churches and schools for better education?

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How will the Secretary of State rectify the issue urgently when there are no places available locally or nationally?

Question

Will the Minister meet to discuss clear guidance on applying and perhaps visit the school?

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Does the Secretary of State support the chair's endorsement, including their view on academic freedom?

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Will the Secretary of State visit to see how we can link schools and industry for young people's benefit?

Question

Has funding been considered for free primary school meals, as in Scotland, ensuring a decent-sized meal daily?