FIR0074

Written evidence submitted by the Department for Education

Introduction

1.     The Government wants to make sure that everyone receives a world-class education, to ensure that they have the opportunity to reach their full potential. This will support our wider ambition of a more productive economy. Our reforms have already been transformative – 1.9 million more children are in good or outstanding schools since 2010. We are laying the groundwork for a new technical education system, and have maintained a world-leading Higher Education (HE) sector. 

2.     The Fourth Industrial Revolution, as defined by the World Economic Forum, is the ‘digital revolution…characterised by a fusion of technologies that is blurring the lines between the physical, digital and biological spheres’.[1] These technologies include Artificial Intelligence (AI – including its corollaries: automation and machine learning), the development of new materials, and use of novel production modes.

3.     We cannot be certain of the exact impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) found that 14% of jobs in member countries are at a high risk of automation,[2] whereas a separate study suggested that 47% of American jobs are at risk.[3]  Although there is a lack of research focusing on the UK, these international studies indicate the challenge of predicting the impact of technological shifts – many of which are still at early stages of development.

4.     We are preparing for the changes in the labour market that the technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution may bring, through our new, modern Industrial Strategy, supported by our Digital and skills strategies. The Government is:

1. Encouraging schools and colleges to use technology to improve student outcomes
2. Providing a balanced curriculum of the knowledge and skills needed for the future
3. Introducing T levels as a high-quality alternative to A levels 
4. Conducting a post-18 education and funding review to achieve choice and competition for all young people, value for money for students and taxpayers, and the skills and expertise our economy needs
5. Enabling adults to retrain for career progression and change
6. Targeting policies to ensure people from all backgrounds can take advantage of the opportunities that new technologies may bring

Collaborative Working across Government

5.     The impact implied by the literature about the Fourth Industrial Revolution underscores the importance of Government departments working together to tackle the challenges and opportunities it may raise. The following sections set out how different Government strategies each have a contributing role.

6.     The Government’s Industrial Strategy is a long-term plan to boost the productivity and earning power of the UK. It explains how we are building a Britain fit for the future – helping business to create better jobs in every part of the country – with investment in future skills, industries and infrastructure. The Industrial Strategy recognises that digital skills are vital for both Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) and non-STEM jobs, and that demand is growing. It also includes a £20 million government investment for the Made Smarter pilot, to boost productivity and growth in the North West.

7.     The Industrial Strategy sets out Grand Challenges to put the UK at the forefront of future industries. The first four Grand Challenges focus on global trends that will transform our future:

1. AI & Data: Embedding AI across the UK should create thousands of high-quality jobs, potentially contributing an estimated £232 billion to the UK economy by 2030.[4] We intend to make the UK a global centre for AI and data innovation
2. Clean Growth: We intend to make the UK a world leader in the development, manufacture and use of low-carbon technologies, systems and services that are cheaper than high-carbon alternatives
3. Future of Mobility: We are on the cusp of a significant change in how people, goods and services move around our country. Technological advances have increased the speed of transport innovation, and we want the UK to lead the next transport revolution
4. Ageing Society: We will harness the power of innovation to meet the needs of an ageing society. We want to make sure that people can enjoy at least five extra healthy, independent years of life by 2035, whilst also improving the experience of the poorest in society

8.     In the year since the publication of the Digital Strategy, 2.5 million of 4 million industry pledges of free digital skills training have been delivered, £75 million invested to support AI development, and £21 million invested to boost tech hub support through Tech Nation. Access to good quality broadband is critical, and with evidence to suggest it improves education performance. £1.7 billion of public money is being invested to support vital improvements in superfast broadband coverage across the UK, of which £780 million is from central Government. We will continue to support the delivery of superfast broadband to beyond 95% of the country, and expect to reach at least a further 2% by 2020. The Digital Strategy will deliver the first-class digital infrastructure and advanced skills base that business needs to take advantage of digital tools (for example, data analytics or cloud computing). Moving forwards, we will continue working closely with the tech sector to create a world-leading digital economy that works for everyone.

9.     We must also work towards every organisation in the UK being cyber-secure and ensure they all have the cyber security skills they need. Specific initiatives to develop a sustainable talent pipeline for the UK cyber security industry include:

1. The Cyber Skills Immediate Impact Fund pilot, to help deliver an immediate boost to the number of cyber security professionals
2. The two-year Cyber Security Postgraduate Bursaries Scheme pilot to encourage adults to retrain and become cyber security professionals through a master’s degree, accredited by the Government Communications Headquarters
3. Extra-curricular courses for school-age children, serving as a talent pipeline for academic progression or entry-level roles 

10. Both the Digital and Industrial strategies emphasise the importance of education in achieving our productivity goals. Department for Education (DfE) policies and programmes span every stage of education – in addition to the Post-16 Skills Plan referenced in the Committee’s Terms of Reference (ToRs). Further details on specific policies are set out in detail below.

The curriculum, and high-quality choices at ages 16 and 18

Early Years

11. All children in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) are expected to receive a broad curriculum. This includes communication and language, reading, writing and maths, which we know are critical to a successful education. We expect technology to be a useful tool to help teach children, as part of a broad EYFS curriculum. Our proposed reforms to the early learning goals following the primary assessment consultation focus on ensuring all children leave the EYFS prepared for key stage 1.

Curriculum

12. The National Curriculum review was launched in January 2011. The review found that England’s standards were not in line with high-performing countries. It was outperformed by Singapore alongside other jurisdictions, and a 2013 OECD report showed that the UK was the only surveyed country in which 16-24 year-olds were less literate and numerate than those aged 55-64.[5] The review was informed by the standards set by high-performing jurisdictions in English, mathematics and science[6] and international approaches to curriculum breadth.[7] The new, more demanding and knowledge-rich National Curriculum was published in 2013, and became statutory in 2014. The Educational Excellence Everywhere white paper referred to cognitive science research, which showed that attempts to teach skills without subject knowledge fail, because they do not take into account the latest developments in cognitive science.[8] It is therefore imperative that all pupils are taught a broad, knowledge-rich and academic curriculum covering core subjects up to age 16.

13. The National Curriculum specifies the subjects that should be studied in local authority maintained schools, and provides a benchmark for academies. It focuses on the fundamental building blocks of literacy and numeracy – the key skills employers want and that all pupils need. Teachers and schools have the flexibility to go beyond National Curriculum subjects and content.

14. To support teaching of the new mathematics curriculum, we have introduced a £74 million Teaching for Mastery programme, which introduces teaching practices common in top-performing international jurisdictions. We have also established the National Centre for Excellence in Teaching Mathematics. Our new Advanced Maths Premium will support schools and colleges to offer post-16 mathematics to more pupils. We are opening more maths schools – free schools that will work in collaboration with leading universities’ maths departments. We know that the need for mathematics will grow, as more careers require strong mathematical knowledge.[9] Our new mathematics curriculum puts a greater emphasis on building this knowledge – giving prominence to written as well as mental arithmetic, including teaching times tables early, use of formal written methods and applying mathematics to solve multi-step problems. According to the international study Trends in International Mathematics and Science, our 9-10 year olds are in the second highest-performing group of countries for mathematics, and significantly above the international mean.[10]

15. Our National Curriculum ensures that pupils gain a firm foundation in reading, by being taught using systematic synthetic phonics. We are also establishing a Centre of Excellence for Literacy Teaching and a network of 35 English hubs in some of the most challenging areas, focusing on raising early literacy standards in reception year and key stage 1. The results of the 2016 Pupils in International Reading Literacy Study showed that England rose from joint tenth in 2011 to joint eighth, with England securing its highest ever score.[11] We want to ensure that pupils develop the cognitive and communication skills necessary to succeed in the future economy.[12]

16. We will provide £84 million over the next four years to establish the new National Centre for Computing Education, to improve computer science teaching, and increase computer science participation. The National Curriculum introduced computing as a statutory subject at all four key stages, to ensure pupils acquire the knowledge and skills they need to become active creators of digital technology. It focuses on the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, such as the basics of programming, and includes digital literacy and online safety. At GCSE, computer science entries continue to rise faster than any other subject.

17. As well as reforming our science curriculum, we fund programmes such as the network of Science Learning Partnerships and the Stimulating Physics Network to increase take up of GCSE triple science, to get more girls to study physics and to improve the quality of teaching. The proportion of pupils in state-funded schools entered for the science component of the EBacc has increased from 63.2% to 91.3% between 2010 and 2017. We have taken these steps to improve take-up of science GCSE and A levels, so that the UK remains a global science and innovation leader. Entries into science A levels (physics, chemistry and biology) have increased by 11% over the same period.

18. Recognising that interpersonal skills will play an important role in the economy of the future,[13] we will help all schools deliver high-quality Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and PSHE. This will help to equip young people to have healthy and respectful relationships, stay safe, and leave school with the knowledge to prepare them for adult life in modern Britain. Following the passage of the Children and Social Work Act 2017, DfE has been drafting statutory guidance and regulations that will focus on building healthy relationships, mental health, safety online and dealing with strangers.

19. After the Wolf Report in 2011,[14] the Government implemented an extensive programme of technical and applied education reforms, removing qualifications from performance tables that were easy to achieve, or had an inflated value in performance measures. We have worked to make sure that the number of such qualifications eligible for inclusion in key stage 4 performance tables has fallen significantly. More recently, in the Government’s response to the T level consultation, we set out our intention to review non-GCSE key stage 4 qualifications. We will publish a consultation in due course, in which we will invite views on guiding principles for the review.

High-quality choices post-16 and post-18

20. The Government is introducing measures to make sure that young people are able to access a number of high-quality options once they have completed secondary school, be it through academic or technical pathways. These options – including T levels, apprenticeships and A levels – will allow people to prepare for new roles created by technological advancements. Moreover, we want the education system to be more responsive to the needs of business and employers, ensuring we have the right skills in the right places.

T levels

21. T levels will offer a high-quality and rigorous technical alternative to A levels. The content of all T level programmes will be designed by employers, to give young people the skills needed for today’s industries. Digital (Digital Production, Design and Development) is one of the first subjects to be introduced in 2020. We recognise the importance of future-proofing the outline content of T levels in this area to adapt to the continually changing digital environment.

National Colleges

22. In order to meet employers’ demand for high-quality technical education, the Government is providing £80 million of funding to establish five National Colleges. These will aim to meet a gap in the delivery of specialist higher-level vocational training at Levels 4-6 in sectors critical to economic growth. To address the digital skills gap, the National College for Digital Skills opened in September 2016. The college seeks to play a leading role in using apprenticeships to meet the digital skills gap and a powerful tool for social mobility. This year, it will provide a direct inflow into higher-level and degree-level apprenticeship provision, with students progressing onto their apprenticeship partners such as Google, Deloitte, EY and Expedia.

Institutes of Technology

23. The Government is also creating a network of prestigious new Institutes of Technology (IoTs) across the country, through a £170 million competition. IoTs will be collaborations between Further Education colleges, universities and employers, harnessing the strengths of each to deliver top quality training and apprenticeships in the higher-level technical skills, particularly STEM, that employers need. IoTs will focus on levels 4 and 5, but will also extend to degree level and above (level 6+). National Colleges and IoTs will provide a coherent route from compulsory education into skilled employment by ensuring young people and adults have the right technical knowledge, practical skills and behaviours needed by employers.

Apprenticeships

24. New apprenticeship standards at all levels are being designed and driven by industry, including the digital sector, to create higher quality training for a more productive economy. We have established the Institute for Apprenticeships (IfA) to support employers to develop the new standards, and to oversee their quality. There are currently 14 digital apprenticeship standards available, with a further 10 in development, including data analysis, digital marketing, network engineering and cyber security. The digital sector will be the first to be reviewed by the IfA from July 2018. 

Higher Education

25. Ensuring that graduates have the knowledge and skills they need to secure employment in their desired field is an important part of the Government’s Industrial Strategy. Research predicts that around 70% of new jobs between 2014 and 2024 will be in occupations most likely to employ graduates,[15] and it is estimated that a 1% increase in the share of the workforce with a university degree raises long-term productivity by between 0.2% and 0.5%.[16] It is therefore vitally important to future productivity that our HE system is responsive to industry needs.

26. The Shadbolt review (2016) highlighted poor graduate outcomes for computer science students despite industry demand, and a lack of clarity between the skills needs of industry, and university provision. The DfE is working on implementing the review’s recommendations and is exploring its next steps. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has published a guide on skills to help build stronger links and foster better understanding between industry and academia.

27. The Institute of Coding – a consortium of more than 60 universities, businesses and industry experts – is set to receive £20 million to educate the next generation of digital specialists and tackle the UK’s digital skills gap. The DfE is also providing £15 million for the New Model in Technology and Engineering, which will work with employers to deliver a world-leading engineering education for its students.

28. The Government has invested in centers for doctoral training in data science and launched the Alan Turing Institute (National Institute for Data), in recognition of the importance of data science in improving productivity. Data science also underpins technologies such as AI, machine learning and the Internet of Things – all of which are important new technologies. We have also supported computing science degree conversion courses in data science, and an industry-led Data Skills Taskforce that is examining ways to increase data skills supply.

29. The post-18 education and funding review is looking at how we can best support education outcomes that deliver our Industrial Strategy ambitions, by contributing to a strong economy and delivering the skills our country needs. It also examines how to ensure there is real choice and competition across a joined-up post-18 education and training sector, and how we can help people make effective choices between academic, technical and vocational routes. We will also look at funding arrangements to ensure they are transparent and not a barrier to choice or provision. An independent panel, led by Philip Augar, will provide input in to the review.

The use of technology in education settings

30. Turning to the specific policy concerns raised in the inquiry’s ToRs about the use of technology in education, the Government recognises that it is essential that – whatever we teach in schools, colleges or universities – we are providing an increasingly technologically-enabled teaching environment. However, schools and colleges do not always understand the opportunities of technology for teaching.

31. The Government is working with educators, the EdTech sector and researchers to remove barriers to the uptake of technology in education settings. To do this, the Government is:

1. Working to highlight the opportunities of EdTech and increase awareness amongst school and college staff
2. Using schools with poor internet connectivity as markers for the Local Full Fibre Fund and the National Productivity Investment Fund. This will indicate where to expand national infrastructure
3. Working with several research organisations and initiatives (such as the Education Endowment Foundation, UCL Educate, Emerge Education, Jisc and the Chartered College of Teaching) to ensure there is a robust evidence pipeline for the use of EdTech

32. Many educational settings are already using technology effectively to improve teaching, from utilising cloud technology to providing digital audio feedback to cut unnecessary teacher workload. They are also using technology to automate marking, increase parental engagement and improve accessibility for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. Colleges in particular are using technology to provide immersive experiences and prepare students for employment. Technologies used at all life stages, including those mentioned above, are collectively known as EdTech.

33. However, we do not believe that technology should be a catchall solution to educational problems. Educational settings that use EdTech well have a comprehensive plan to tackle challenges outside of using technology. EdTech should supplement, rather than replace, good teaching.

34. The Government also recognises the potential for using new technologies in the future. For example, adopting Virtual and Augmented Reality technologies could create immersive teaching environments. Two of the new National Colleges (High Speed Rail and Nuclear) already use this successfully to teach their students within a simulated workplace environment.

35. Despite the uptake of technology in schools and colleges, there are unique barriers to adoption and proper implementation, which the Government is working to overcome:

1. Teachers and leaders often lack the confidence and knowledge to use technology effectively in classrooms
2. Some schools and colleges in England do not have adequate broadband, meaning they are unable to access the opportunities that technology can bring
3. There is a lack of accessible evidence about what works, meaning educators are not always willing to risk using technological tools for teaching

The importance of retraining and careers guidance in the changing technological environment

Careers Strategy

36. The Government’s Careers Strategy (December 2017) will prepare people from all backgrounds to move into a job or training that enables them to have a fulfilling life. The strategy sets out that all schools and colleges should meet the eight, evidence-based Gatsby Benchmarks by the end of 2020, to develop and improve careers provision. One of the benchmarks is ‘learning from career and labour market information’, which includes young people using labour market information by the age of 14, as well as parents and carers. The Careers Strategy also includes £2.5 million for the training and continuing professional development of career guidance professionals – including on awareness of the changing labour market.

37. A new law requires all maintained schools and academies to allow a range of education and training providers to access pupils and inform them about approved technical education qualifications or apprenticeships. In addition, from September 2018 we will require schools to publish details of their careers programme.

38. The new National Careers Service website will use the latest labour market information about all types of careers. Ensuring that people receive good careers advice and information is vital to what the Government is seeking to deliver through the Industrial, Digital and skills strategies. With new technology and fast-paced changes to the labour market, careers guidance is more important than ever.

National Retraining Scheme

39. As technological advancement changes the world of work, people will need to be taught new skills throughout their working lives, allowing them to progress and redirect their careers to secure the jobs of the future.

40. We announced a National Retraining Scheme (NRS) in the Autumn Budget 2017 – an ambitious programme that will give individuals new and sought-after skills, and support employers to adapt as the economy changes. The Government is working with industry and employees to develop the scheme, including through an historic National Retraining Partnership between Government, the Confederation of British Industry and the Trades Union Congress, ensuring that wider views feed into the scheme’s development. This will help identify priority areas based on evidence and national training needs.

41. The Government will invest £30 million to test AI and EdTech use in online digital skills courses as an early part of the scheme, allowing people to access the training they need alongside new technologies. The scheme will be fully in place by the end of this Parliament.

Digital retraining and upskilling

42. We invest £85 million per year in digital skills training below level 2, and our substantial investment at the community level has resulted in over 800,000 adults improving their basic digital skills over the past four years. This is in recognition that, in our increasingly ‘online’ society, there are still those who are not digitally literate. We are urgently tackling this gap.

Part-time and accelerated degrees

43. The post-18 education and funding review will consider how we can encourage studying that is more flexible (for example, part-time, distance and commuter study options) and complements ongoing Government work to support people to study at different times in their lives.

44. We intend to provide financial support to part-time students by introducing maintenance loans – similar to those for full-time students, which will be available from 2018/19. This is partly to address the decline in part-time students.

45. We legislated, through the Higher Education and Research Act 2017, to allow a specific fee cap for accelerated degrees, removing a key barrier to their wider availability. Furthermore, evidence shows that these courses appeal particularly to mature students who want to retrain and enter the workplace more quickly than a traditional course would permit. We recently completed a public consultation about provision, and will respond later this year. We are planning to put the necessary regulatory changes to Parliament later this year, to allow accelerated degree fees for courses starting in September 2019. We are also working on measures to raise awareness across the university sector, and with current and potential students and employers, to improve understanding and support wider provision and uptake.

Social mobility and productivity

Place-based strategies for education and skills provision

46. As well as national policies, we know that a place-based approach is needed for all people and communities to reach their potential, and for a more productive economy now and in the future.     

47. We are introducing Skills Advisory Panels across England by the end of this Parliament, to help identify local employer demands. The panels will convene local representatives, including businesses, training providers and tertiary education providers. This will inform Local Industrial Strategies and local post-16 skills provision, to better meet labour market needs. The first seven geographically diverse areas are the Mayoral Combined Authority areas of Greater Manchester and West Midlands, and five local enterprise partnerships – Cornwall and the Scilly Isles, Greater Lincolnshire, Lancashire, Leeds City Region and Thames Valley Berkshire. The results of the Employer Skills Survey, which assessed skills shortages across the UK by region and sector, will also be published this year.

48. The Digital Skills Partnership (DSP), part of the Digital Strategy, was launched in July 2017 by the then Minister for Digital and Culture, Matt Hancock. The DSP convenes businesses, charities and policy makers to tackle the digital skills divide. It has prioritised the establishment of four national-level Delivery Groups, one of which is focusing on local DSPs – local partnerships that will make better use of data, so that digital skills training can be targeted to the needs of local communities and economies. The DSP will support Local Digital Skills Partnerships to deliver face-to-face and online training opportunities – from boosting digital inclusion, to training the digital specialists that our economy increasingly requires. The DSP will also support organisations to increase the digital capabilities of their employees, so they can take advantage of the productivity gains digital technology provides.

Social mobility, equality and prioritising the most disadvantaged 

49. We must enable all people – irrespective of age, gender, physical ability, ethnicity, health conditions, or socio-economic status – to take full advantage of the opportunities of the digital age. The most gender-diverse companies are 15% more likely to outperform financially the least gender-diverse. In addition, for every 10% increase in the diversity of a company’s senior executive team, profitability rises by 3.5%. However, we are not only interested in the business case for diversity – we are supporting it because it is the right thing to do.

50. We are addressing gender diversity by supporting the Tech Talent Charter, a private sector initiative designed to promote diversity in the tech workforce. Signatories pledged to implement recruitment and retention practices that will address gender imbalance.

51. The Prime Minister’s Race Disparity Audit highlighted disparities between different ethnic groups throughout education. We have committed to a target of increasing apprenticeship starts by individuals from BAME backgrounds by 20% by 2020. In March, we launched an exclusions review led by Edward Timpson, looking at what drives the disproportionate exclusion of some groups of pupils. The review is due to report by the end of the year. We have also announced that £90 million of dormant assets will be used to support youth unemployment, and the Minister for Children and Families recently hosted a meeting with leaders from BAME organisations to discuss schools leadership disparities, school exclusions and the transition of BAME students’ employment.

52. We explained how we would tackle social mobility challenges through education in Unlocking Talent, Fulfilling Potential (December 2017). This action plan detailed how we are going to support people from disadvantaged backgrounds in the early years, schools, post-16, and throughout their careers.

53. The Government shares Matthew Taylor’s ambition for good quality work, and we are determined to be among the first countries to identify the best way to ensure everyone benefits from this technological revolution.

54. We aim to raise educational outcomes and improve social mobility in 12 particular areas through the Opportunity Areas (OAs) programme, and to learn from what works, with the intention of spreading the successful approaches across the country. As well as improving educational outcomes in 12 OAs, we are also directing resources towards specific interventions, and equipping young people with the skills and qualities needed to pursue highly qualified careers.

Conclusion

55. The Government is committed, through the Industrial Strategy, to move us towards an increasingly high-value, innovative and productive economy. To do that effectively requires complex and multi-faceted interventions at every stage of education. Our policy interventions recognise the changing future skills needs of our economy. To reflect these changes, the DfE is working closely with business in a number of critical areas (including T levels, apprenticeships and the NRS), to ensure that employers have the opportunity to influence these programmes directly. We are also working closely with schools, colleges and universities to deliver the interventions set out above.

56. We believe that to prepare our population successfully for whatever technological developments the future may hold, it is imperative that all people receive a broad, knowledge-rich and high-quality education.

July 2018