Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a GCSE qualification in the Romanian language.
Answered by Robin Walker
Deciding which languages are offered at GCSE is the responsibility of awarding organisations.
The government is committed to increasing the number of pupils studying languages to GCSE level and beyond, including languages that are commonly spoken in Britain. It is for this reason that teaching of languages is in the national curriculum from age 7 to 14, and why GCSEs in languages are included as part of the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects.
However, it is up to schools to decide which languages are taught as part of their curriculum, both at primary and secondary school, and the government does not specify which languages should be taught. When deciding which languages to offer, schools are likely to consider the needs of their local community.
Awarding organisations can offer a GCSE in any modern language, and this decision would be informed by matters such as the level of demand from schools, the proportion of the population in the UK speaking the language, and the availability of examiners. Thus, there is no reason in principle why a GCSE in Romanian could not be introduced, and the government would support any awarding organisation wishing to do so.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to tackle anti-Sikh bullying in schools.
Answered by Robin Walker
The government has sent a clear message that bullying should never be tolerated, and the department is committed to supporting schools to tackle it.
The department is providing over £2 million of funding, between 10 August 2021 and 31 March 2023, to five anti-bullying organisations to support schools to tackle bullying. This includes projects targeting bullying of groups who share protected characteristics, including race and faith and belief, such as those who are victims of hate related bullying.
All schools should set clear, reasonable and proportionate expectations of pupil behaviour in line with the department’s guidance on behaviour and discipline in schools. It is for individual schools to develop their own best practice for managing behaviour in their school.
We are also making sure that all children in England will learn about respectful relationships, in person and online, as part of mandatory relationships, sex and health education. This includes content on the different types of bullying, the impact it has, the responsibility of bystanders, and how to get help.
The department continues to publish information, guidance and support for teachers and school leaders on how to challenge radical views, including racist and discriminatory beliefs, on Educate Against Hate. We also provide advice for schools, which outlines schools’ responsibilities. This advice makes clear that schools should make appropriate provision for a bullied child's social, emotional and mental health needs.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of anti-Semitic hate crime directed towards (a) university students and (b) academics in the past 12 months; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Michelle Donelan
As part of our work to tackle the scourge of antisemitism, the government works closely with the Community Security Trust, a charity whose purpose is to provide safety, security, and advice to the Jewish community – and who publish annual data about the number of antisemitic incidents in the UK. Their figures for 2021 show a record number of antisemitic incidents within higher education (HE).
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, and I hosted an antisemitism summit in January this year, with vice chancellors and leading Jewish groups to discuss measures seeking to put an end to antisemitic incidents in HE. At the summit, we set out clear actions, including spotting patterns of incidents, spreading good practice, and adopting training from the Union of Jewish Students, so the sector has the right tools to tackle this issue more effectively. The HE sector is taking forward these commitments as a matter of urgency.
To further this work, an antisemitism taskforce led by Lord Mann, the government’s independent advisor on antisemitism, has been set up. The taskforce will look at all aspects of antisemitism on campus and will address the safety of everyone on campus, including students, staff, members, and visitors. Members of the taskforce will also speak directly with providers where antisemitism has been a recognised problem.
The findings and recommendations of the antisemitism taskforce will be made public once the work reaches its conclusion.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to protect Jewish (a) pupils and (b) teachers from anti-Semitic abuse in schools.
Answered by Robin Walker
The government is clear that antisemitism, as with all forms of bullying and hatred, is abhorrent and has no place in our schools. All educational institutions should be inclusive and welcoming for students and staff from all backgrounds.
The department is aware of reported increases in such incidents, during an escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in May 2021, which is why the former Secretary of State for Education wrote to schools to remind them of their responsibilities to deal with antisemitic incidents with due seriousness as well as their legal duties regarding political impartiality. The department has also published further guidance on political impartiality in schools to help them to ensure educational initiatives in schools are not politically biased or one-sided.
The government continues to take action to support schools to tackle all forms of bullying, including antisemitism. Our Preventing and Tackling Bullying guidance sets out that schools should develop a consistent approach to monitoring bullying incidents and evaluating the effectiveness of their approaches. It also directs schools to organisations who can provide support with tackling bullying related to race, religion and nationality, as well as sexual harassment and sexual bullying.
The department is also providing over £2 million of funding, between 10 August 2021 and 31 March 2023, to five anti-bullying organisations to support schools to tackle bullying. This includes projects targeting bullying of groups who share protected characteristics, including race and faith and belief, such as those who are victims of hate related bullying.
The government has also supported Holocaust education for many years and is fully committed to continuing this support. In recognition of its importance, the Holocaust is the only historic event which is compulsory within the national curriculum for history at key stage 3. Effective teaching about the Holocaust can support pupils to learn about the possible consequences of antisemitism and extremism, to understand how society can prevent the repeat of such a catastrophe. The department provides funding for several programmes to support school pupils’ and teachers’ understanding of the Holocaust.
The department has published guidance for schools on the Equality Act 2010, which sets out the general provisions that apply to schools in their role as employers. The guidance is clear that all of the protected characteristics are covered by these provisions and that harassment or victimisation against potential or existing employees in relation to any of the protected characteristics is unlawful. We encourage schools to consult the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s guidance and Codes of Practice for Employers for more detailed information on their obligations to their teachers and other staff.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure foster carers can access respite.
Answered by Will Quince
The government recognises how challenging the role of a foster carer can be and the skills and dedication that it requires. It is important that foster carers receive the support they need to fulfil this role and to meet the needs of the children in their care.
The fostering services: national minimum standards include standards for the support of foster carers. They are clear that every foster parent should receive at least the national minimum allowance (NMA), plus any necessary agreed expenses, which cover the full cost of caring for a child. Foster carers can also benefit from reformed tax and benefit allowances, such as tax exemption on the first £10,000 of income and tax relief for every week a child is in their care. This will ensure they receive the best support for their individual financial circumstances, in recognition of their role.
All foster carers are registered as self-employed and have an agreement with their fostering service providers, which sets out how they carry out their role, the allowances that they can expect, respite and any fees that they may be eligible for.
We think that allowing fostering providers to set their own payment structure (within the NMA) and how they provide respite based on the local and individual circumstances is the most practical approach. It is right that there is some variance to reflect local circumstances, different placement requirements and experience levels of foster parents.
The department remains committed to taking the necessary action to ensure that foster parents receive the respect and support that they need and deserve. As part of that, the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care, chaired by Josh MacAlister, is taking a fundamental look at the needs, experiences and outcomes of the children supported by children’s social care. We will consider and respond to the recommendations and final report of the care review once it is published.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure foster carers can access pensions.
Answered by Will Quince
The government recognises how challenging the role of a foster carer can be and the skills and dedication that it requires. It is important that foster carers receive the support they need to fulfil this role and to meet the needs of the children in their care.
The fostering services: national minimum standards include standards for the support of foster carers. They are clear that every foster parent should receive at least the national minimum allowance (NMA), plus any necessary agreed expenses, which cover the full cost of caring for a child. Foster carers can also benefit from reformed tax and benefit allowances, such as tax exemption on the first £10,000 of income and tax relief for every week a child is in their care. This will ensure they receive the best support for their individual financial circumstances, in recognition of their role.
All foster carers are registered as self-employed and have an agreement with their fostering service providers, which sets out how they carry out their role, the allowances that they can expect, respite and any fees that they may be eligible for.
We think that allowing fostering providers to set their own payment structure (within the NMA) and how they provide respite based on the local and individual circumstances is the most practical approach. It is right that there is some variance to reflect local circumstances, different placement requirements and experience levels of foster parents.
The department remains committed to taking the necessary action to ensure that foster parents receive the respect and support that they need and deserve. As part of that, the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care, chaired by Josh MacAlister, is taking a fundamental look at the needs, experiences and outcomes of the children supported by children’s social care. We will consider and respond to the recommendations and final report of the care review once it is published.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure foster carers can access sick pay.
Answered by Will Quince
The government recognises how challenging the role of a foster carer can be and the skills and dedication that it requires. It is important that foster carers receive the support they need to fulfil this role and to meet the needs of the children in their care.
The fostering services: national minimum standards include standards for the support of foster carers. They are clear that every foster parent should receive at least the national minimum allowance (NMA), plus any necessary agreed expenses, which cover the full cost of caring for a child. Foster carers can also benefit from reformed tax and benefit allowances, such as tax exemption on the first £10,000 of income and tax relief for every week a child is in their care. This will ensure they receive the best support for their individual financial circumstances, in recognition of their role.
All foster carers are registered as self-employed and have an agreement with their fostering service providers, which sets out how they carry out their role, the allowances that they can expect, respite and any fees that they may be eligible for.
We think that allowing fostering providers to set their own payment structure (within the NMA) and how they provide respite based on the local and individual circumstances is the most practical approach. It is right that there is some variance to reflect local circumstances, different placement requirements and experience levels of foster parents.
The department remains committed to taking the necessary action to ensure that foster parents receive the respect and support that they need and deserve. As part of that, the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care, chaired by Josh MacAlister, is taking a fundamental look at the needs, experiences and outcomes of the children supported by children’s social care. We will consider and respond to the recommendations and final report of the care review once it is published.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues to encourage them and their Departments to mark Anti-bullying week 2021.
Answered by Will Quince
The Department for Education leads on anti-bullying policy in schools, and we work closely with the Anti-Bullying Alliance who organise Anti-Bullying Week in England and Wales. The Department for Education also works closely with other government departments including Government Equalities Office to co-ordinate anti-bullying week activity and have always maintained the stance that bullying should never be tolerated. The department has worked closely with cabinet colleagues to develop and share a number of resources and activity to support the week.
As part of the departments commitment to supporting schools to tackle bullying, on 16 November it was announced that the department has made £1.1million of funding available for five anti-bullying grants to support schools to tackle bullying. This includes projects targeting bullying of particular groups, such as those with SEND, those who are victims of hate-related bullying and homophobic, biphobic and transphobic (HBT) based bullying. Details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/more-support-for-schools-to-tackle-bullying.
The Department for Education has also participated in a range of media and social media activity in support of the week. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, and other ministers, including myself, have taken part in ‘Odd Socks Day’ which is a signatory, annual event that begins anti-bullying week with participation from schools and professionals across the sector. It is a celebration of the things that make us different and unique. The department has also signposted to a range of resources and support to help schools to prevent and tackle bullying.