Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the legalisation of same-sex marriage, they intend to legislate to allow heterosexual couples who wish to form civil partnerships to do so, and if not, why not.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
In 2014, after the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 was passed, the government carried out a review of the operation and future of the Civil Partnership Act 2004, including a thorough public consultation on potential changes to civil partnership. Views were invited on three options: abolishing, or phasing out civil partnerships; or extending them to opposite sex couples.
The review found that there was no clear consensus on the future of civil partnerships. A majority of respondents to the consultation were against extending civil partnerships to opposite sex couples and several important organisations thought it was too soon to consider making changes to civil partnerships until the impact of extending marriage to same sex couples is known. Given the lack of any consensus the Government has no current plans to make changes to the Civil Partnership Act 2004.
On 29 January 2016, the High Court dismissed a legal challenge to the lack of availability of civil partnerships to opposite sex couples. The Court ruled unequivocally that the current regime of marriage and civil partnership does not disadvantage anyone nor does it infringe anyone’s right to family or private life. We also welcome the Court’s view that it is entirely reasonable for the Government to wait to see the impact of extending marriage to same sex couples before deciding on the way forward.
Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 7 December 2015 (HL3817), what assessment they have made of the fact that, in relation to men and women under 35-years of age, the pay gap is in favour of women.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
This Government is committed to ending the gender pay gap. New figures released by the Office for National Statistics show that the gender pay gap in the UK remains the lowest on record. The pay gap for women under the age of 40, working full time, is particularly low. The gap is -0.8% for women working full-time aged 22-29 and 0.6% for women working full-time aged 30-39.
As well as revising statutory guidance for schools on careers to raise young women’s aspirations, we have established a new Careers and Enterprise Company to encourage greater collaboration between employers and schools to inspire young people and supported the ‘Your Life’ campaign to encourage more young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and maths.
Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 4 December (HL3456), what urgent action they are taking to remedy the shortage of male teachers and teaching assistants.
Answered by Lord Nash
We value diversity in the workforce but want the best people in the classroom, regardless of their gender; evidence shows that the quality of teaching is the single most important factor in determining how well pupils achieve. We are pleased that the quality of entrants to initial teacher training, as measured by degree class, remains high, with 18 per cent of postgraduate entrants, a new record, holding a first-class degree. Recent figures show that 26 per cent of teachers in publicly funded schools in England are male. The proportion of men starting initial teacher training programmes in 2015/16 is 31 per cent. The proportion of entrants to the School Direct (salaried) scheme in 2015/16 who are male is 34 per cent.
Given this performance, the government does not feel that top-down targets for the recruitment of men into initial teacher training would be appropriate. Similarly, it is schools that employ teaching assistants and they are best placed to decide who are the most appropriate for that role regardless of gender.
Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Answer by Baroness Altmann on 19 November (HL Deb, col 265) promising to look at the gender pay gap for older women, whether they will also look into the gender pay gap between men and women under 35 years of age.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
We are pleased with the progress made towards eliminating the gender pay gap women working full time under the age of 40, but we are not complacent. To encourage young women to consider a wide range of career options, we have revised statutory guidance for schools on careers to raise aspirations; established a new Careers and Enterprise Company to encourage greater collaboration between employers and schools to inspire young people; supported the ‘Your Life’ campaign to encourage more young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM); and published the ‘Your Daughter’s Future’ guidance for parents.
Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the latest figures available for the proportion of (1) male, and (2) female (a) teachers, and (b) teaching assistants in (i) primary, and (ii) secondary, schools in the UK.
Answered by Lord Nash
The requested information is set out in the following table. This is based on data collected in November 2014 for the School Workforce Census. The following table shows the proportion of full-time equivalent (FTE) male and female teachers and teaching assistants in primary and secondary state-funded schools in England.
(a) Teachers1 | (b) Teaching Assistants2 | |||
(1) Male | (2) Female | (1) Male | (2) Female | |
(i) Primary | 15% | 85% | 5% | 95% |
(ii) Secondary | 38% | 62% | 17% | 83% |
All | 26% | 74% | 9% | 91% |
Source: School Workforce Census
Equivalent figures for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are a matter for the relevant Devolved Administration.
Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action, if any, they plan to take to ensure that sections 406 and 407 of the Education Act 1996 are complied with between now and 2017 to ensure that lessons and discussions relating to the UK membership of the EU are balanced and impartial.
Answered by Lord Nash
My earlier response to Lord Stoddart‘s PQ HL 521 refers:
‘Schools are aware of their duties regarding impartiality and treatment of political issues. Sections 406 and 407 of the Education Act 1996 require maintained schools to prevent political indoctrination and secure the balanced treatment of political issues. This duty is reflected in the model funding agreement for academies and free schools.
In Citizenship education, pupils are taught about local, regional and international governance and the United Kingdom’s relations with the rest of Europe, the Commonwealth, the United Nations and the wider world. Pupils will be equipped with the skills to think critically and debate political questions.’
School governing bodies and academy trusts are responsible for considering if a member of staff has acted improperly in presenting their own views or beliefs to pupils.
The Department’s ‘Teacher Misconduct: the prohibition of teachers’ advice is used by those involved in the teacher regulatory process, professional conduct panels and NCTL officials, to identify factors that should be taken into account when considering whether prohibition is appropriate. This advice makes clear that in considering the seriousness of a teacher’s behaviour it is important to consider the influential role that a teacher can play in the formation of pupils’ views and behaviours. A teacher’s behaviour that is judged to promote extremist political or religious views or actions should be viewed very seriously in terms of its potential influence on children and young people and as a possible threat to the public interest, even if no criminal offence is involved.
This advice can also be used to indicate to teachers the sorts of behaviour that could constitute serious misconduct, and so lead to prohibition and to help employers make a judgement on which cases should be referred to the NCTL.
Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 16 June (HL521) concerning schools' compliance with sections 406 and 407 of the Education Act 1996, whether they are aware of campaigns by the European Commission to promote the European Union in primary and secondary schools; and how those educational establishments will provide a balanced treatment of the issue of United Kingdom membership of the European Union.
Answered by Lord Nash
The European Commission makes information about the European Union available to schools. European Union institutions have a policy of distributing publications only on demand. They do not send out unsolicited information. There are very few publications produced by EU institutions that are targeted towards schools.
Sections 406 and 407 of the Education Act 1996 requires schools to prevent political indoctrination and ensure the balanced treatment of political issues. How this is done is a matter for individual schools.
Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what powers teachers in the state sector have to inspect children's lunch boxes and to confiscate items that they deem unsuitable.
Answered by Lord Nash
Governing bodies are responsible for their school meals service including their packed lunch policies and whether to ban certain products to promote healthy eating. If schools wish to adopt such policies, we strongly recommend that they consult parents first and ensure that any adopted policy is clearly communicated to parents and pupils.
Schools have common law powers to search pupils, with their consent, for items. There is nothing to prevent schools from having a policy of inspecting lunch boxes for food items that are prohibited under their school food policies. A member of staff may confiscate, keep or destroy such items found as a result of the search if it is reasonable to do so in the circumstances. It would be good practice for the pupil to be present during an inspection and for a second member of staff to be present if any items are to be confiscated.
If authorities and schools are concerned about their legal position, they should seek their own legal advice.
Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they intend to introduce to ensure that sections 406 and 407 of the Education Act 1996 are complied with in relation to the European Union, particularly before the holding of a referendum on the United Kingdom's membership of the European Union.
Answered by Lord Nash
Schools are aware of their duties regarding impartiality and treatment of political issues. Sections 406 and 407 of the Education Act 1996 require maintained schools to prevent political indoctrination and secure the balanced treatment of political issues. This duty is reflected in the model funding agreement for academies and free schools.
In citizenship education, pupils are taught about local, regional and international governance and the United Kingdom’s relations with the rest of Europe, the Commonwealth, the United Nations and the wider world. Pupils will be equipped with the skills to think critically and debate political questions.