1. Lib Dems need to come clean with students, says NUS
In response to Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg’s announcement that the party no longer pledges to scrap university tuition fees in one Parliament, NUS President Wes Streeting said that Clegg must now be “crystal clear about what he will be promising students at the next general election."
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2. Government launches “Going for Growth: Our Future Prosperity"
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills launched “Going for Growth: Our Future Prosperity" on Thursday 7 January.
Ministers argued that “a credible deficit reduction plan” had to be accompanied by “an equally credible growth plan, which set out plans for growth. The plan involves taking a more strategic approach to UK industrial policy in the future-focusing on sectoral opportunities that would drive discovery and economic growth.
The seven key areas of Government action identified by the Government included:
- Supporting enterprise and entrepreneurial activity, including the access to finance required for starting and growing firms;
- Fostering knowledge creation and its application;
- Helping people develop the skills and capabilities to find work and build the businesses and industries of the future;
- Investing in the infrastructure required to support a modern low carbon economy;
- Ensuring open and competitive markets to drive innovation and rising productivity;
- Building on our industrial strengths where we have particular expertise or might gain a comparative advantage, and where Government action can have an impact;
- Recognising and employing the right strategic role for Government in markets that allows us as a nation to capitalise on new opportunities.
3. UUK to establish working group on academic freedom and preventing violent extremism.
Universities UK (UUK) announced on Wednesday that it intends to establish a working group to look at how universities can best protect academic freedom whilst taking appropriate action to prevent violent extremism.
This follows responses to the arrest of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab in the United States on Christmas Day. Mr Abdulmutallab studied for an undergraduate degree in Engineering and Business Finance at University College London (UCL) between 2005 and 2008.
Professor Steve Smith, UUK President said: 'This is the only way of ensuring that we address the real issues and prevent acts of terrorism from occurring in the future. Bearing this in mind, and building on our publication ‘Promoting Good Campus Relations’ published in 2005, Universities UK intends to respond to the events following Mr Abdulmutallab’s arrest by setting up a working group.
This will be chaired by Professor Malcolm Grant and will consider how universities can work with all relevant organisations, nationally and locally, to ensure the protection of freedom of speech and lawful academic activities, whilst safeguarding students, staff and the wider community from violent extremism.'
UUK’s announcement came after a House of Commons statement on ‘Aviation and Border Security’ by Home Secretary Alan Johnson about the incident and the Government’s response.
4. Parliamentary Questions
Walley – Apprenticeships
Wednesday 6 January 2010
House of Commons - Oral Question
Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent, North) (Lab): I wish to pay my personal tribute to David Taylor.
My I draw my right hon. Friend’s attention to my concern about apprentices aged over 26 at Stoke on Trent college, which is conducting urgent talks with the aim of securing the funds that are needed for them to continue their training? In the light of the recent National Audit Office report on former coal mining areas, will my right hon. Friend use his good offices to do all that he can to ensure that the Learning and Skills Council, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the regional development agency, and the Department for Work and Pensions work closely with the college to find a solution, so that all apprentices can receive full funding?
The Prime Minister: It is our intention, even in these difficult times when companies may not be in a position to keep apprentices on, to find alternative sources of employment for them and ensure that the colleges can continue to train them. However, I will examine the specific issue that my hon. Friend has raised. As for the coalfields regeneration programme, the National Audit Office’s recommendations have been acted on, and funds from the programme have already been allocated. Stoke-on-Trent has received £3 million, more than half a million pounds of which has been committed to projects that will provide training for individuals.
I hope that my hon. Friend will find some of the answers to her questions in the decisions that have already been made, but I will look into the apprentices question. In 1997 there were 70,000 apprentices, and there are now a quarter of a million. No Government have done more to revive the apprenticeship, and we will not allow the number of apprenticeships to fall during this recession.
Naseby, Lord - Education
Tuesday 5 January 2010
House of Lords - Oral Question
Asked By Lord Naseby
To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of 15 to 19 year olds were in education in 2007; and how that compares with other European countries.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Children, Schools and Families (Baroness Morgan of Drefelin): My Lords, in 2007, using the international measure of student enrolment, 71 per cent of 15 to 19 year-olds in the UK were enrolled in education. This compares to 86 per cent in France and 88 per cent in Germany. We know that we need to do more to increase participation, which is why we have introduced EMA, the September guarantee and the 14-to-19 reforms, and have legislated to raise the participation age.
Lord Naseby: I thank the Minister for those figures, which are vindicated by the research done by the University and College Union. The result, though, is that we have ended up 26th out of 30 leading countries in that age group, and in the 20 to 29 group we are 25th out of 30. Given that the Governments philosophy, 5 Public Funding: Museums and Galleries [5 JANUARY 2010] Education 6 [LORD NASEBY] as I understand it, is education, education, education, how can they vindicate such success as they have had with this fall in where we are within these 30 major countries almost to bottom place?
Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: My Lords, I amextremely proud of the Governments commitment to tackling our real concern about the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training.
That is why, for example, we have unprecedented levels of investment in 16 to 19 participation and why we have legislated to increase the age of participation from 17 in 2013 to 18 in 2015. That is a historic commitment that the Government have made real. It is alsowhywe have introduced the educational maintenance award, which has had a huge impact on improving the participation of young people andwhywe are promoting the 14 to 19 reforms of the curriculum so that we are not trying to put square pegs into round holes and we really do have an engaging curriculum to encourage all young people; not only those who want to pursue an academic career. I feel absolutely vindicated in the Governments strategy and approach to ensuring that young people have the opportunity to fulfil their talents.
Lord Taylor of Blackburn: My Lords, does my noble friend agree that it is quality that counts rather than quantity?
Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: My Lords, I agree that quality counts rather than quantity in some ways, but I would not differentiate or choose to divide young people. I want to recognise that all young people have talents, which is something that our Prime Minister has promoted personally. We in central government, local government and all our communities must do everything that we can to ensure that young peoples talents can be realised by creating opportunities and welcoming young people in all aspects of our work.
Baroness Walmsley: Does the Minister not accept that a wide range of options for education and training for young people, which are not only of high quality as the noble Lord just mentioned but are relevant to both their needs and the job opportunities available to them, will do a lot more to engage young people than any compulsion that the Government may introduce in 2013 and 2015?
Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: No, I do not. We spent a great deal of time debating this during the passage of the Education and Skills Bill when we looked at the question of compulsion. I know that the noble Baronesss party is very much opposed to compulsion, but even when we have done absolutely everythingensured that we had the most engaging curricula, a flexible approach personalised to meet the needs of all young people, however challenging their experiences or upbringing might be, ensured that the financial support is there and that we have the EMAs, courses and funding that this party has put in placewe will end up with young people who will still not engage. That is where the compulsion element becomes so important. We thought that it was right to make education compulsory to 16 and it is now right for it to be compulsory for young people up to the age of 18 to be involved in education, training or an apprenticeship, which I knowthat this House is particularly interested in.
Lord Roberts of Conwy: Does the noble Baroness not realise that her unprecedented commitment to 15 to 19 year-olds is reflected in the highest level of unemployment recorded for 18 to 24 year-olds? Many of those about whom we are talking now who were educated in 2007 are now in the 18 to 24 year-old group. At 18.4 per cent, it is the highest level of unemployment since records began.
Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: My Lords, I am extremely concerned, like many, that young people experience unemployment. The noble Lord knows better than most the impact of unemployment in areas of particular industrial decline around the country.
However, we know from the review of my noble friend Lord Leitch looking at the skills that this country needs that we have to get more people into education.