Highlights of the week ending 18 March
Monday saw Education Questions in the Commons, with the usual mixed bag of topics from MPs, including the future of BTEC, National Tutoring Programme & education catch up, access to higher education, and home schooling. Robin Walker also set out, in a statement, the announcements made by the Secretary of State last Friday, around NTP funding and a new curriculum body.
Robin Walker was in front the Education Committee answering questions on the educational challenges facing children and young people from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller backgrounds. The session also covered education catch up. Committee Chair, Robert Halfon highlighted his dissatisfaction about the draft terms of reference of the
upcoming Covid enquiry, particularly the lack of focus on impact on children's wellbeing and educational issues. He has since written to the chair of the inquiry, Baroness Hallett. A report by NFER highlighted the impact of the pandemic on pupil attainment, especially amongst younger pupils.
The APPG for Youth Employment published a report into the impact of qualification reform on young people’s employability. The group raised concerns about current plans at level 3 and the effect on disadvantaged students and social mobility. Recommendations include an evidence-based approach to the roll out of T Levels and fully understanding their impact before defunding other qualifications.
Office for Students (OfS) launched a review of blended learning, amidst concerns that the poor quality of the online experience for some students during the pandemic has undermined the positive potential of mixing in-person and online course delivery.