Contributions
163 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDPupil AbsenteeismIs the Minister aware that many 13 and 14 year-olds who do not turn up on two days a week do not want to go back to a school where they will have to study just eight academic…07 May 2025HANSARDChildren’s Wellbeing and Schools BillMy Lords, I am delighted to follow my friend, the noble Lord, Lord Blunkett. He was an outstanding Education Secretary who enormously improved literacy and numeracy in primary…01 May 2025HANSARDAI: Cross-sector LegislationMy Lords—29 Apr 2025HANSARDApprenticeships: Entry RequirementsMy Lords, I support what the Government are doing in reducing the levels of numeracy and literacy for apprentices starting. The House should remember that the apprentices of the…10 Mar 2025HANSARDFree Schools and AcademiesMy Lords, I declare an interest in that I am the life president of the Baker Dearing Educational Trust, which promotes university technical colleges. The Minister will be glad to…23 Jan 2025HANSARDCurriculum and Assessment ReviewIs the Minister aware that, of the students this year taking GCSE, fewer than 20% took computer science? That is appalling. At the same time, a report from 6,000 companies up and…18 Nov 2024HANSARDCurriculum and Assessment ReviewMy Lords—18 Nov 2024HANSARDSmall Boat CrossingsMy Lords, is the Minister aware that the refugee convention of 1951 was never meant to deal with the mass migration of people but was very much to do with the persecution that…13 Nov 2024HANSARDEducation for 11 to 16 Year-olds (Committee Report)It is always a pleasure to follow my friend, the noble Baroness, Lady Morris. She is one of the three former Education Secretaries—the other being the noble Lord, Lord…26 Jul 2024HANSARDKing’s SpeechMy Lords, I want to say how sorry I was to hear the valedictory address of the noble Baroness, Lady Jolly. She is a very familiar face in this House. I know she attends a lot,…19 Jul 2024HANSARDSkills: Importance for the UK Economy and Quality of LifeMy Lords, I congratulate my noble friend Lord Aberdare on initiating this debate. He and I meet from time to time at conferences on technical education around the country. I…09 May 2024HANSARDSkills: Importance for the UK Economy and Quality of LifeAt the beginning of her speech, the Minister said—I have not heard a Minister say it before—that the forecast of the skills gap in 2030 is hundreds of millions, if not billions.…09 May 2024HANSARDFaith Schools: Impact of Removing Admissions CapMy Lords, does the Minister appreciate that it has never been Tory policy to advocate 100% faith schools? No Tory Education Secretary since 1945 has advocated them. They have…07 May 2024HANSARDSchool Inspections: FundingMy Lords, as I am responsible for 44 university technical colleges, I have received lots of Ofsted inspections, and I am glad to say that 85% resulted in good or outstanding…17 Apr 2024HANSARDLord Byron: 200th AnniversaryNormally one is memorised in our country by a stone slab in Westminster Abbey. I think it is unlikely that the Church of England would welcome one for Byron, but he was, from…16 Apr 2024HANSARDOfsted: Pupil Absence RatesMy Lords, when children of 14 decide to leave their school and go to a university technical college, their absence rate falls dramatically compared to that at their previous…13 Feb 2024HANSARDEducation: 11 to 16 Year-oldsMy Lords, is the Minister aware that the Select Committee of this House on 11 to 16 education has come up with very radical proposals, basically replacing the curriculum that she…08 Feb 2024HANSARDSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) BillMy Lords, I will support the Bill tonight, not because my Whips are suggesting I should do it but because I was the Home Secretary in 1990, the first to have to deal with a huge…29 Jan 2024HANSARDSchools: Persistent AbsenteeismMy Lords, is the Minister aware that, in disadvantaged areas of the country, absenteeism could be as high as 20%, where you cannot expect parents to get their children to go to…24 Jan 2024HANSARDT-levelsMy Lords, is the Minister aware that so many students are dropping T-levels because they have been misled? They thought they were going to study a technical curriculum, but the…25 Jul 2023