The Bishop of Sheffield received the following written answers on 13th October 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Sheffield asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which the origins and contents of the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights are taught in primary and secondary schools in England.
Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab, DfE): Citizenship education provides a framework to prepare pupils to be active, informed and responsible citizens. The national curriculum for citizenship is mandatory at key stages 3 and 4 and primary schools can choose to teach it.
Citizenship covers human rights and international law, and the need for mutual respect. Pupils should also be taught about international governance and the United Kingdom’s relations with the rest of Europe, the Commonwealth, the United Nations and the wider world. This could include teaching about the origins and contents of the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights.
The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, which seeks to deliver a rich, broad, inclusive and innovative curriculum that equips young people with the knowledge, skills and attributes needed to thrive in life and work. The Review will publish its final report in autumn 2025.
The Lord Bishop of Sheffield asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the geographical distribution of overseas universities which have partnerships with UK universities.
Baroness Smith of Malvern: The UK is home to globally recognised universities that operate in nearly every corner of the world, often in partnership with overseas institutions. These partnerships strengthen global ties, facilitate research partnerships and enable transnational education provision to reach over 200 countries and territories, allowing 621,065 students to study overseas for UK higher education qualifications in 2023/24.
The UK’s International Education Champion, Professor Sir Steve Smith, has led multiple missions and delegations to promote educational partnerships in a range of countries. The department is currently reviewing the UK’s international education strategy to ensure that it continues to reflect the priorities of the education sector, including UK universities, and global partners across the world.
The Church of England in Parliament 
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