Turing Scheme Disadvantaged Students 2021-04-26
2021-04-26
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
The Turing scheme aims to support disadvantaged students in accessing international educational opportunities. The question addresses the need to encourage take-up among this group.
What steps his Department is taking to encourage take-up of the Turing scheme by disadvantaged students?
The Turing scheme encourages take-up among students from disadvantaged backgrounds, with additional financial support to make this opportunity accessible to all. Disadvantaged students can receive increased grants towards living costs and funding for travel-related costs such as passports, visas and insurance. We have actively targeted and promoted the scheme in areas of disadvantage, helping to level up the country.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not provide specific details on targeting and promoting the scheme in disadvantaged areas
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
The question pertains to the support for agricultural and technical education within the framework of the Turing scheme, highlighting its importance in international learning.
Can I ask my right hon. Friend particularly about agricultural and technical education? Across the United Kingdom, young farmers clubs and our agricultural colleges are doing a terrific job and have built a global network, and have often been let down by previous schemes. What can we do to support the technical and agricultural aspects of this scheme?
I think we all know in this House that my hon. Friend is a great champion of agricultural interests in his Montgomeryshire constituency. He is right. This is an incredibly international business and it is important to learn on an international level, whether it is from our friends in Australia, in New Zealand or in many other countries. I would be happy to meet him to discuss how this could be done more, maybe through the agricultural colleges and universities that serve our agriculture industry so very well.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not provide specific details on supporting technical and agricultural education under Turing scheme
Would Meet To Discuss Further
Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
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Context
The question addresses the need for assessing the success of the Turing scheme specifically among disadvantaged students and asks for a commitment to an annual report.
The Government have stated that they want more disadvantaged students to participate in Turing, so how does the Secretary of State assess the success of this scheme for disadvantaged students, and will he commit to an annual report to Parliament on these figures?
We have already seen a really high level of interest from both institutions and, most importantly, students in the new Turing scheme. They recognise that they want to seize the opportunities on a global scale as against being constrained by the European Union. That is why I have every confidence that we will have such an enormous success with the Turing scheme and it will be truly transformative to young people's lives.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not commit to annual report or provide concrete assessment criteria
High Level Of Interest
Confidence In Success
Response accuracy
Q4
Partial Answer
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Context
The question highlights discrepancies between the Erasmus scheme and the newly introduced Turing scheme, focusing on areas such as cost of living support, travel costs, and tuition fees.
This is a Government of illusion. The Prime Minister said that there was no risk to Erasmus, then it was gone, replaced with the Turing scheme, which Ministers said would improve opportunities. But a quick look at the scheme shows that for cost of living, Turing offers just £490 of support—£140 less than Erasmus—while for travel costs, only a fraction of students are now eligible whereas under Erasmus+ all students were eligible for up to £1,300. In tuition fees, there is no support, whereas it was guaranteed under Erasmus for free. Could the Secretary of State just be straight with students and confirm that Turing equals Erasmus minus?
I am afraid the hon. Gentleman obviously is not very familiar with the scheme. Actually, there are a number of slight inaccuracies in what he stated. I would be happy to send him the details so that he can undertake some homework and understand it a little bit better in future.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not confirm or deny the comparison between Erasmus and Turing schemes
Gentleman Is Not Familiar
Slight Inaccuracies
Response accuracy