Tag: further education

Skills and Post-16 Education Bill: Bishop of Durham backs amendments on mental health support for students

On 15th July 2021, the Bishop of Durham spoke in a debate on the Skills & Post-16 Education Bill, expressing his support for amendments focused on supporting students’ mental health:

The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, I particularly want to support Amendment 63, but also the others in the group. Just last month, in June 2021, the DfE itself published a report, Student Mental Health and Wellbeing, based on research done before the pandemic. It points out that 96% of institutions ask their students about their mental health but only 41% ask them about their general well-being. It also notes that only 52% of universities would say that they have a “dedicated strategy” for the mental health and well-being of their students. So the DfE’s own report, from last month, highlights that there is plenty of work to be done on universities having proper, dedicated strategies around mental health and well-being—particularly on the well-being side.

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Skills and Post-16 Education Bill: Bishop of Durham speaks in favour of amendments on SEND provision in further education

On 15th July 2021, the House of Lords debated amendments to the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill in the second day of the committee stage. The Bishop of Durham spoke in favour of amendments 41 & 43, which would clarify language around provision for special educational needs & disabilities and require that further education settings regularly review their SEND offer:

The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, I first need to declare my interest as chair of the National Society. I should also apologise that I was unable to take part in Second Reading because of other engagements; my noble friend the Bishop of Leeds spoke in my stead. I also need to apologise for a complete error on my part in not being available to speak to Amendment 11, to which my name was added, during day one of Committee; that was entirely an administrative error at my end.

However, I now enter into the debate on a very small matter, on Amendment 41, on which I simply want to endorse the comments made by the noble Lord, Lord Addington, about the phrase “from time to time”. The language seems too loose. The word “regularly” implies something more frequent without expressing exactly what that regularity is. Put simply, regular review that connects with potential changing local needs makes good sense. The amendment simply tightens this up.

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Skills and Post-16 Education Bill: Bishop of Leeds speaks on need for reform of skills and incentives for workers

On 15th June 2021, the House of Lords debated the Skills and Post 16 Education Bill in its second reading. The Bishop of Leeds spoke in the debate, highlighting several areas of the bill for attention, including incentives for workers influenced by the pandemic:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: My Lords, I strongly endorse the previous speech, particularly as it notes the crazy distinction between vocational and academic study. On these Benches, we welcome the commitment from the Government to the further education and skills sector as set out in the Bill. It is particularly pleasing to see that the Bill builds on the practical reforms outlined in the Skills for Jobs White Paper. In this context, I also strongly commend to the House the Church of England’s new vision for further education report, published at the end of April, which also recognises the key role that FE plays in driving individual, community and societal transformation.

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Bishop of Winchester asks about publication of Further Education White Paper

The Bishop of Winchester received the following written answer on 25th January 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Winchester: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they plan to publish the Further Education White Paper.

Baroness Berridge (Con, DfE): We published the White Paper Skills for Jobs: Lifelong Learning for Opportunity and Growth on 21 January 2021.

Hansard

Bishop of Chichester asks about impact of student loans on recruitment and retention in key public services

On 23rd July 2020 Lord Bassam of Brighton asked the Government “what assessment they have made of the presentation of debt by the Student Loans Company on its online student loan repayment system.” The Bishop of Chichester, Rt Revd Martin Warner, asked a follow-up question:

The Lord Bishop of Chichester: My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Bassam, has made a trenchant point about the presentation of these financial statements. The University of Chichester plans to reopen its school of nursing and to recruit locally—to pick up a point made by the noble Lord, Lord Clark, on an earlier Question. For mature and part-time students whom the university seeks to attract, the level of loan debt is as important as the clarity of the information about their loan repayments—perhaps more so. Will the Minister look again at the impact of student loans on recruitment and retention in key public services in the light of their significance to our recovery from the pandemic? Continue reading “Bishop of Chichester asks about impact of student loans on recruitment and retention in key public services”

Bishop of Winchester asks Government about free college meals

On 21st July Baroness Massey of Darwen asked Her Majesty’s Government “what steps they are taking to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social mobility”. The Rt Revd Tim Dakin, Bishop of Winchester, asked a follow up question focusing on free meals for college students.

The Lord Bishop of Winchester: My Lords, the Association of Colleges’ summer survey, published yesterday, indicates that three out of four colleges require additional resources to provide free college meal vouchers to eligible students over the summer. In my diocese, 52% of students at City College Southampton receive free college meals. We welcome the £96 million of ring-fenced funding announced yesterday for all 16 to 19 providers to supply additional catch-up tutoring. Will the Minister say how the Government will support colleges to ensure that all eligible students receive free college meals over the summer?

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Bishop of Durham asks Government about training and apprenticeship funding for disadvantaged students

On 21st July Lord Aberdare asked Her Majesty’s Government “what steps they are taking to ensure that the young people due to leave school in the current academic year are prepared for work in a post-COVID-19 environment; and what changes they have made to careers support and guidance provision to achieve this”. The Rt Revd Paul Butler, Bishop of Durham, asked a follow up question focusing on funding for training and apprenticeships.

The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, the Social Mobility Commission recently published an apprenticeships report, which highlighted a 36% reduction in the number of apprenticeship starters who were from disadvantaged backgrounds.

As we prioritise developing the skills of young people, can the Minister confirm how the new £1.6 billion funding for scaling up training and apprenticeships will be distributed across the country to ensure that areas such as the north-east with a high proportion of disadvantaged students have access to quality training?

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Bishop of Winchester asks about FE teaching hours during pandemic

On 6th May 2020 the Bishop of Winchester, Rt Revd Tim Dakin, received a written answer to a question on FE students and teaching hours:

The Lord Bishop of Winchester: HL3165 To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that all further education students who are (1) 16 or17 years old receive at least 540 teaching hours, and (2) 18 years old or over receive at least 450 teaching hours. Continue reading “Bishop of Winchester asks about FE teaching hours during pandemic”

Bishop of Winchester asks about Government FE and skills strategy

On 5th May 2020 the Bishop of Winchester, Rt Revd Tim Dakin, received a written answer to a question on the Government’s further education and skills strategy:

The Lord Bishop of Winchester: HL3164 To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they have made in (1) improving further education, (2) meeting future skills needs, and (3) supporting economic and social recovery, since the publication of their Industrial Strategy: Building a Britain fit for the future White Paper in June 2018.

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Bishop of Winchester asks about further education college mergers

On 19th March 2020 the Bishop of Winchester received a written answer to a question about further education college mergers:

The Lord Bishop of Winchester: HL2306 To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to facilitate local college mergers which (1) are in the interests of learners, (2) build financial resilience, and (3) ensure that provision serves local communities, especially in areas of disadvantage. Continue reading “Bishop of Winchester asks about further education college mergers”