Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of reimbursing the 2018-19 cohort of nursing students for their tuition fees.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
This is a difficult and uncertain time for students, but we are working with the sector to make sure all reasonable efforts are being made to enable students to continue their studies. The government expects universities and other higher education providers to continue delivering a high-quality academic experience and help students to achieve qualifications that they and employers value.
The government is extremely grateful to all students who opted into a paid clinical placement in the NHS during the COVID-19 response. We have ensured that all these students were rewarded fairly for their hard work. Nursing, midwifery, and allied health students who opted into a paid clinical placement received a salary and automatic NHS pension entitlement at the appropriate band. Time spent on paid placements as part of the COVID-19 response also counted towards the requirement for students to complete a specified number of training hours in order to successfully complete their degrees. There are no plans for tuition fee refunds or a specific debt write-off scheme for student volunteers.
Whether or not an individual student is entitled to a refund of fees will depend on the specific contractual arrangements between the provider and student. Universities and other higher education providers are autonomous and responsible for setting their own fees. In deciding to keep charging full fees, providers will want to ensure that they can continue to deliver courses which are fit for purpose and help students progress their qualifications.
If students have concerns, there is a process in place. They should first raise their concerns with their university. If their concerns remain unresolved, students at providers in England or Wales can ask the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education to consider their complaint.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to prioritise the health and wellbeing of university students during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
Protecting the mental health and wellbeing of students continues to be a priority for this government and I have convened representatives from the higher education (HE) and health sectors to specifically address the current and pressing issues that university students are facing during the COVID-19 outbreak. In my recent letter to Vice Chancellors in October, I outlined that student welfare should remain a priority.
We expect HE providers to continue to support their students and identify and address the needs of their student body. Many HE providers have bolstered their existing mental health services and adapted delivery mechanisms, which includes reaching out to students who may be more vulnerable, to ensure that students are able to access the support that they need. Staff at universities and colleges have shown resourcefulness and there are many examples of good practice.
We have worked with the Office for Students (OfS) to provide Student Space, which has been funded by up to £3 million by the OfS. Student Space is a mental health and wellbeing platform that aims to bridge any gaps in support for students arising from this unprecedented situation and is designed to work alongside existing services. Ensuring students have access to quality mental health support is my top priority, which is why I asked the OfS to look at extending the platform. I am delighted they have been able to extend the platform to support students for the whole of the 2020/21 academic year because no student should be left behind at this challenging time. This resource provides dedicated one-to-one phone, text and web chat facilities as well as a collaborative online platform providing vital mental health and wellbeing resources.
The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) has overall policy responsibility for young people’s mental health. We continue to work closely with them to take significant steps to support the mental health and wellbeing support for students in higher education settings.
The DHSC is committed, through the NHS Long Term Plan, to investing at least £2.3 billion of extra funding a year into mental health services by 2023-24. This will see an additional 345,000 children and young people, and adults, able to access support through NHS-funded services.
Over £9 million has been provided by the government to leading mental health charities to help them expand and reach those most in need. Students struggling with their mental health can also access support via online resources from the mental health charity Mind, the NHS and Public Health England, and via the following website: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether music lessons can take place in the teacher's home during the November 2020 covid-19 lockdown restrictions in England.
Answered by Nick Gibb
As outlined in the guidance for education and childcare settings on new national restrictions from 5 November 2020, out of school activities such as private tuition may continue to operate during the period of national restrictions. Guidance on this is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/education-and-childcare-settings-new-national-restrictions-from-5-november-2020#ooss. Providers of these activities who are operating out of their own homes or private studios should ensure they are only being accessed for face to face provision by parents if their primary purpose is registered childcare. Other possible allowances are that they are providing other activities for children where it is reasonably necessary to enable parents to work or search for work, or to undertake training or education, or for the purposes of respite care. Out of school activities that are primarily used by home educating parents as part of their arrangements for their child to receive a suitable full time education (which could include, for example, private tutors) may also continue to operate for face to face provision for the duration of the national restrictions.
Where online lessons are not reasonably possible, providers are permitted to offer face to face provision in pupils’ homes, where it is necessary for them to continue to work.
Tutors that continue to operate face-to-face provision during this period should continue to undertake risk assessments and implement the system of controls set out in the following guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/protective-measures-for-out-of-school-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak. Providers operating out of other people’s homes should also implement the guidance on working safely in such an environment: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/homes.
All other out of school activities, not being primarily used by parents for these purposes and that can offer remote education, should close for face to face provision for the duration of the national restrictions. This will minimise the amount of mixing between different groups of people and therefore reduce the risk of infection and transmission of the virus.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of suspending the School Attendance Order for parents who do not want their child to return to school during the covid-19 outbreak, particularly in cases where the child or a member of that child’s household is considered to be clinically extremely vulnerable.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Pupils in all year groups and from all types of school should now have returned to school full-time, as this is the best place for them to be for their education, development and wellbeing.
Parents have a duty to ensure that any of their children who are of compulsory school age receive a full-time education, either through regular attendance at school or through alternative arrangements, such as home schooling. A local authority will only serve a school attendance order if parents fail to satisfy the local authority that their child is receiving this.
Guidance on protecting people who are clinically extremely vulnerable is clear that all pupils should continue to attend school at all local COVID alert levels, unless they are one of the very small number of pupils under paediatric or other specialist care and have been advised by their GP or clinician not to attend school. The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19.
Schools have their own measures in place to limit the risk of transmission. If parents of pupils with significant risk factors are concerned, we have recommended that schools discuss their concerns and provide reassurance of the measures they are putting in place to reduce the risk in school.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans his Department has to end the post code as a determining factor of access to English for Speakers of Other Languages provision.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
In 2018/19, the department supported 120,500 adult learners to improve their levels of English through fully and part-funded English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) courses.
The department funds ESOL through the Adult Education Budget (AEB).
Approximately half of the AEB is devolved to 7 Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs) and delegated to the Mayor of London, acting where appropriate through the Greater London Authority (GLA). These devolved authorities are responsible for the provision of adult education, including ESOL, and allocation of the AEB in their local areas. The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) is responsible for the remaining AEB in non-devolved areas.
In non-devolved areas, we do not ring-fence a particular amount of the ESFA AEB budget for ESOL. Colleges and adult training providers have the freedom and flexibility to determine how they use their AEB allocation to meet the needs of their communities. They are responsible for planning, with local partners, which ESOL courses can be delivered locally.
In devolved areas, providers have the opportunity to work with MCAs and the GLA to shape the ways in which they can contribute to meeting skills needs locally so that more people of all ages and backgrounds are given opportunities to develop the skills and experience they need, including ESOL provision.
We are committed to open dialogue with MCAs and the GLA on how best skills provision and reforms can be shaped to fit the needs of local areas.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of implementing recommendation 68 of the House of Lords Select Committee on Citizenship and Civic Participation’s 2018 report in relation to funding for ESOL teaching.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
This government remains committed to the 2019 manifesto commitment to boost English language teaching to empower existing migrants and help promote integration into society.
In 2018/19, the Department for Education supported 120,500 adult learners to improve their levels of English through fully and part-funded English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) courses.
The Department for Education funds ESOL through the Adult Education Budget (AEB).
Approximately half the AEB is devolved to 6 Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs) and delegated to the Mayor of London acting through the Greater London Authority (GLA). The authorities are responsible for the provision of adult education, including ESOL, and allocation of the AEB in their local areas. The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) is responsible for the remaining AEB in non-devolved areas.
In non-devolved areas colleges and adult learning providers have the freedom and flexibility to determine how they use their AEB allocation to meet the needs of their communities and this includes planning, with local partners, the ESOL courses that they will deliver locally.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to support the families of pupils on free school meals in Streatham constituency during the school summer holidays in 2020.
Answered by Vicky Ford
I refer the hon. Members to the answer I have given today to Question 54195.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to support children in care who are victims of trafficking.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The government provides Independent Child Trafficking Guardians (ICTGs). They are an independent source of advice for trafficked children, working with multi-agency partners to advocate on behalf of the child so that they are protected from further harm and to promote the child’s recovery. Last year, ICTGs were successfully rolled out to one third of all local authorities in England and Wales and the Government remains committed to rolling ICTGs out nationally.
The ‘Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010’ were amended in 2014 to require that local authorities’ duties to care for looked after children are fulfilled with particular regard to a child’s circumstances and needs as a trafficked child. The Regulations apply to all children, regardless of their immigration status, nationality or documentation.
The departments statutory guidance ‘Care of unaccompanied migrant children and child victims of modern slavery (2017)’ sets out detailed steps that local authorities should take to care for children who are victims of modern slavery, including trafficking. It emphasises that care placement decisions should take particular account of protecting the child from any continued risk from traffickers and processes should be in place to monitor policies and performance relating to child victims of modern slavery. Responsible managers should understand the risks and issues facing child victims of modern slavery and review best practice in planning for the care of these children.
The statutory guidance ‘Working together to safeguard children (2018)' actively promotes a child centred, multi-agency approach to safeguarding all children and specifically highlights the need to manage complex risks to children from exploitation by criminal gangs, including trafficking and modern slavery.