Asked by: Lord Bishop of Winchester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government which, if any, recommendations from the Post-18 Education and Funding Review they plan to implement; and what is the intended timescale for implementation.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
We want to ensure we have a joined-up education system that is accessible to all and encourages the development of the skills we need as a country.
Philip Augar and his independent panel have made thoughtful recommendations on tuition fee levels and loan repayment, the balance of funding between universities, further education, apprenticeships and adult learning, and we are considering all these recommendations carefully.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Winchester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to extend the pupil premium to post-16 education.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The government is determined to ensure that disadvantaged students are supported in their post-16 education. The national funding formula for 16 to 19 year olds and the funding through the Adult Education Budget both include a disadvantage uplift. This provides extra funding for disadvantaged students (specifically for those with low prior attainment or those who live in the most disadvantaged areas). We will continue to consider how we can most effectively support disadvantaged students in post-16 education, and will continue to keep financial arrangements under review.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Winchester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce a long-term plan to support adult education, retraining and lifelong learning.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
We have a number of current and future programmes in place, and planned, to support adults and lifelong learning.
Our adult skills system seeks to improve productivity, employment levels and social inclusion. It supports people who are starting out in their careers, those who want to upskill and those who want or need to change careers.
Adult skills and lifelong learning provision includes:
The AEB fully funds or co-funds skills provision for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to level 3 (including traineeships) to help them gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship or further learning. It also enables flexible tailored programmes of learning to be made available which do not need to include a qualification. From 1 August 2019, approximately half of the AEB has been devolved to 6 Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs) and the Mayor of London acting through the Greater London Authority (GLA). From this date the MCAs and the GLA can use the devolved AEB to shape education and skills provision in a way that best fits the needs of their residents and local economy. The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) will be responsible for funding AEB learners resident in non-devolved areas.
Part-time and flexible courses are key to enabling adults to access higher education. The government has taken steps to ensure the funding system supports more flexible learning at undergraduate degree level. This includes introducing part-time tuition fee loans to cover the upfront cost of part-time courses, part-time students being able to access full-time equivalent maintenance loans and removing the equivalent or lower qualification restrictions for all part-time STEM degree courses.
The National Retraining Scheme is a new programme which is currently being developed as part of the government’s answer to the transforming world of work. The National Retraining Scheme will help prepare adults for the future changes to the economy, including those brought about by automation, and help them retrain into better jobs.
Our reforms to apprenticeships are benefiting people of all ages and backgrounds, including adults developing their skills. We have given employers the flexibility to offer apprenticeships to both new recruits and existing staff, supporting the creation of quality workplace training opportunities and life-long learning.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Winchester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy on the (1) provision, and (2) uptake, of lower-level apprenticeship qualifications; and what steps they are taking to address any issues identified with the (a) provision, and (b) uptake, of such qualifications.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The apprenticeship levy is an important part of the changes to raise apprenticeship quality, creating long-term and sustainable investment in training. Our reforms have put employers in the driving seat, giving them the opportunity to develop apprenticeship standards across all levels to give apprentices the skills that businesses really need.
While starts at level 2 have declined, we have seen a significant upward shift toward apprenticeship starts at higher levels. For example, we have seen starts at higher levels (4 and above) increase by 68% compared to the same point last year. In addition, the level 3 share of the apprenticeships programme shifted upwards, which shows a healthier balance across all levels, helping people progress to highly-skilled occupations.
We will continue to work closely with employers to help them take advantage of our apprenticeship reforms and to invest in the long-term skills needs of their business. We meet regularly with business groups and individual employers to understand the impact of our changes and we use this feedback to help improve the system. For example, in April this year we increased the amount that levy-paying employers can transfer to other employers from 10% to 25%.
Our apprenticeships campaign, Fire It Up, is also working to increase the number of high-quality apprenticeships, by changing the way people think about apprenticeships, demonstrating that they are an aspirational choice.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Winchester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps the Office for Students is taking to encourage universities to use unconditional and other alternative offers to widen participation by minority groups including those from the most disadvantaged backgrounds.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Widening participation is a priority for this government. We want to ensure that everyone with the potential to benefit from a university education has the opportunity to do so, regardless of their background or where they grew up. Significant progress has been made in recent years; in 2018, 18-year olds from disadvantaged backgrounds were 52% more likely to enter full-time higher education than in 2009.
However, we have made clear our expectation that the Office for Students (OfS) will challenge universities to make greater progress in widening access and participation.
For example, we have asked the OfS to explore further the use of contextual information in university admissions, such as whether an applicant comes from a low participation neighbourhood or attends a school that does not send many students to university.
We expect universities to use unconditional offers responsibly. There are cases where the use of unconditional offers can be justified, however the systematic use of unconditional offers is not in the interest of students.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Winchester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of overseas students coming to study in the UK over the last five years, and the impact of any decline in that number on the UK economy.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The table below shows that the number of Non-EU students entering UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) over the last five years. Entry data for 2015/16 and 2016/17 are currently unavailable.
First year enrolments domiciled in Non-EU countries prior to study
UK HEIs
Academic Years 2012/13 to 2016/17
2012/13 | 2013/14 | 2014/15 | 2015/16 | 2016/17 |
171,900 | 179,400 | 174,300 | Not Available | Not Available |
Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Winchester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the number of overseas students, excluding EU students, coming to study in the UK over the next five years.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
In Autumn 2015, as part of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement, the following estimates were published, based on forecasts by English universities. These forecasts only include English Higher Education Institutions and do not separate out Home and EU students.
English Higher Education Institutions
Forecasts of student numbers
Academic Year 2015/16 – 2019/20
| 2015/16 | 2016/17 | 2017/18 | 2018/19 | 2019/20 | Total growth |
Home and EU students (FTE) | 1,300,000 | 1,340,000 | 1,370,000 | 1,400,000 | 1,440,000 | 130,000 |
Non-EU students (FTE) | 260,000 | 280,000 | 300,000 | 310,000 | 320,000 | 55,000 |
Source: English universities’ forecasts, Higher Education Funding Council of England (HEFCE). Figures may not sum due to rounding.