Education Secretary to face MPs on SEND, Ofsted and universities
The Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, and Department for Education Permanent Secretary, Susan Acland-Hood, will be questioned by the Education Committee about a range of topical issues.
Meeting details
MPs are likely to question the Government’s recent decision to move special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) spending from local authorities to DfE, and how the SEND crisis could be tackled with greater input from other departments such as Health and Social Care.
The cross-party Committee is likely to ask about concerns raised by the teaching sector over Ofsted’s new inspection framework. The Committee has previously heard worries that the new ‘report cards’ could increase workload and stress placed on schools despite pledges for the new framework to do the opposite.
Phillipson could be asked about the effect that the International Student Levy could have on the higher education sector, after it was confirmed in the Autumn Statement and amid growing concerns that some universities risk becoming insolvent.
The Secretary of State may also be asked about targets to improve recruitment and retention of teachers, alongside proposed changes to the National Curriculum and for Triple Science to be made available to every student who wishes to study it.
Other topics likely to be raised include GCSE maths and English resits, low pay in the further education sector, improving support for care leavers, the use of mobile phones in schools and investment in the early years sector.