Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what lessons they learnt from the events that followed reports into allegations concerning Birmingham schools arising from the 'Trojan Horse' letter from 2014; and what steps they are taking to prevent any risk to schools elsewhere.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
The government is clear that there is no place for extremism in our schools, and the department is committed to ensuring that children and young people are safe from both extremism and radicalisation.
Following the recommendations contained in Peter Clarke’s report into the allegations arising from the ‘Trojan Horse’ letter, the department took strong action, including:
The department keeps its work under regular review to ensure we continue to provide effective support to the sector to prevent extremism and intolerance from gaining a foothold in our schools.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any effect arising from funding from Qatar Foundation International on the teaching of religious education and Arabic in UK schools.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
The department does not receive any funding from Qatar Foundation International (QFI) for curriculum programmes that support the teaching of religious education (RE) or Arabic in schools in England. Therefore, no assessment has been made on the potential effects of this.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the paper published by the Commission for Countering Extremism in October 2019 entitled Mainstream Islamism in Britain: educating for the Islamic Revival.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
The department acknowledges the report published by the Commission for Countering Extremism in 2019. This report raises several issues related to integration, extremism, and relationships, sex and health education (RSHE).
The department is clear that education plays a vital role in promoting integration and ensuring children and young people are prepared for life in modern Britain, including through learning about the values that underpin and unite our society. All schools have specific duties to promote the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of their pupils and to prepare them for the opportunities and responsibilities of adult life. Schools are required to promote the fundamental British values (FBVs) of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect, and tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs.
The department is committed to keeping children safe from extremism and has taken strong action to prevent extremism from gaining a foothold in our schools across the country, including:
Since 2020, relationships and health education has been compulsory in all primary schools, and relationships, sex and health education has been compulsory in all secondary schools. The department set out the topics that schools should teach about in RSHE statutory guidance, which is clear that schools are responsible for what they teach and should ensure that all content is factual, age appropriate and politically impartial, particularly when using materials produced by external organisations. When teaching, schools should take into account the age of pupils and their religious and cultural background. The department’s statutory guidance on RSHE is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education.
The department continues to keep this area under close review. On 8 March, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister announced that the department has started a review of the guidance. This will cover the full scope of the statutory guidance, and we will be working closely with our stakeholders and experts to draw on the best available evidence about high quality RSHE which meets the needs of young people.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether (1) the National Curriculum, and (2) other guidance provided to schools, requires that copies of the Koran and the Bible should receive equal respect; and if not, what plans they have to ensure that they are treated equally.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
Every school should actively promote mutual respect and tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs. Amongst other criteria, Ofsted will inspect pupils’ knowledge of, and respect for, different people's faiths, feelings, and values.
All schools must offer a broad and balanced curriculum, which promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental, and physical development of pupils.
In response to recent incidents, the government has been repeatedly clear that there is no blasphemy law in Great Britain. The department has no plans to give specific guidance on the respect that should be shown to specific religious texts. However, the Home Office is drafting guidance on blasphemy incidents, which the department will support with as needed.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the statement by the spokesperson for the Department for Education on 2 March in respect of the suspension of four school children at Kettlethorpe High School for dropping a copy of the Koran that “the school followed standard disciplinary procedures in response to this incident” and that the Department “backs headteachers to take the appropriate action”, what are the standard disciplinary procedures for such an incident; whether they consider the suspension of the children in this case to be an “appropriate action”; and if not, what plans they have to withdraw that statement.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
The government’s priority remains the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. The department trusts head teachers to work with pupils, parents and, where necessary, the local community and the police to manage the responses to these incidents locally.
All schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy which outlines effective strategies that will encourage good behaviour and the sanctions that will be imposed for misbehaviour. The department trusts head teachers to develop behaviour policies which reflect their school’s individual contexts and needs. The department also supports head teachers in using suspension as a sanction when warranted as part of creating calm, safe and supportive environments where both pupils and staff can work in safety and are respected.
All decisions to suspend a pupil must be lawful, proportionate, and reasonable. Within these requirements, schools need to be able to set and enforce behaviour policies that reflect their ethos and the specific challenges they face. Decisions also need to be based on the particular facts of a case. For this reason, the statutory Suspension and Permanent Exclusion guidance does not prescribe the behaviours that should or should not lead to a suspension.
If parents feel that disciplinary action is unreasonable, they have the right to make representations to the school’s governing board.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to protect pupils who drop or deface a copy of the Koran, and the families of those pupils.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
The safety of children is the utmost priority for the department, and it is never acceptable to threaten or intimidate pupils and their families under any circumstances. Schools and colleges have a critical role to play in safeguarding children and promoting their welfare. Keeping Children Safe in Education is statutory safeguarding guidance which all schools and colleges must consider, to ensure the safety of children at school.
A vital part of schools meeting their duties includes creating a safe, calm, and supportive environment for all pupils. Head teachers play an important role in preventing bullying, harassment and discrimination in their schools, and they should ensure that they consider the needs of all pupils and staff when developing the school’s approach to its behaviour policy, which all schools are required to have in place.
In response to recent incidents, the government has been repeatedly clear that there is no blasphemy law in Great Britain. There is a range of existing guidance to help schools make decisions on how to meet the needs of their pupils, and to manage and resolve concerns and complaints. The department trusts school leaders to work with pupils, parents, and where necessary the local community and the police to manage the responses to these incidents locally.
However, we recognise that where these issues arise, they are often sensitive and complex, involving a range of local partners such as the police and local authorities. The Home Office is drafting guidance around blasphemy incidents, which the department will support with as needed.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the savings to universities of delivering courses online and re-using digital teaching materials; and what plans they have, if any, to require universities to pass these savings on to students.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
The former Secretary of State for Education commissioned Sir Michael Barber, in his former capacity as chair of the Office for Students (OfS), to lead a review following the rapid shift toward digital teaching and learning in higher education caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The conclusion of the review set out a series of recommendations for higher education providers outlining what a successful approach to building digital skills looks like, with practical suggestions for action. Sir Michael Barber’s report can be read here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/gravity-assist-propelling-higher-education-towards-a-brighter-future/.
Crucially, Sir Michael Barber’s review of digital teaching and learning found that universities had invested significantly in developing their digital teaching and learning offer, and did not find evidence that online tuition is less expensive to deliver than face-to-face provision.
The government has removed all restrictions on in-person teaching, meaning providers are able to offer the full face-to-face teaching experience that they were offering before the COVID-19 pandemic. Virtual learning is a fantastic innovation that can be used to complement and enhance a student’s learning experience, not detract from it, but it should not be used as a cost-cutting exercise.
The OfS has recently launched a review of blended learning. The review will examine blended methods of course delivery and consider which approaches represent high-quality teaching and learning, as well as which approaches fall short of the OfS' regulatory requirements.