Policy Watch

In a relatively quiet week for education policy as activity winds down for recess, the Petitions Committee held a debate on BTEC qualifications after the Protect Student Choice campaign’s petition received more than 108,000 signatures. The debate featured arguments in favour of BTECs and applied general qualifications from MPs across the political spectrum. It will be interesting to see whether the new Prime Minister and their team of ministers will consider the weight of public and political support for choice at age 16.

As the Conservative Party leadership contest continues, this week saw confirmation of the Department for Education’s new ministerial team has now been confirmed. Supporting James Cleverly is Brendan Clarke-Smith as Minister for Children and Families, Will Quince as Minister for School Standards, Andrea Jenkyns as Minister for Skills, Further and Higher Education, and Baroness Barran as Lords Minister/Minister for the School System.
Like all ministers appointed over the past week, the team is working in a caretaker capacity in order to keep Government business functioning during this interim period. A new administration is due to be formed with the announcement of the new Prime Minister in early September.
 

It’s been a tumultuous week with the resignation of the Prime Minister and the sight of three Education Secretaries in as many days. The ministerial domino rally that was started by the Health Secretary, Sajid Javid, quickly found its way to the Department for Education with Nadhim Zahawi moving to the Treasury, to be replaced by Universities Minister, Michelle Donelan (Tuesday). Children’s Minister, Will Quince, School’s Minister, Robin Walker, and Skills Minister, Alex Burghart all resigned the following day (Wednesday). That same day Michelle Donelan gave her maiden appearance at the dispatch box as Secretary of State. However, when it became clear the Prime Minister was standing firm in the face of so many resignations, Donelan also resigned (Thursday), leaving DfE minister-less. James Cleverly was appointed Secretary of State, shortly before the Prime Minister announced his intention to resign.

Ministers and DfE have had a busy week making announcements, and publishing research, statistics, and consultations. The biggest news was the changes to the Schools Bill, currently being scrutinised by Peers in the House of Lords. Following opposition to the plans to give Whitehall greater powers over academies, large sections of the Bill will be removed. In addition, DfE is reviewing how it works with academy trusts. In more welcome news for ministers, respondents to the consultation on another Schools White Paper policy, bringing schools with two consecutive judgements below ‘Good’ in scope for intervention, agreed that such schools should be better supported to improve.

In a week which has seen significant industrial action across the rail network, the NEU issued a ballot threat for a strike later in the year. Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi says such a strike in the wake of the disruption to schooling caused by the coronavirus pandemic would be “unforgivable”. Research published this week by National Foundation for Education Research investigates the impact of pay and conditions, as well as other government initiatives, on attracting new talent into the profession. It concludes that an adequate supply of teacher to 2025 is “unlikely”.