The Education (Non-religious Philosophical Convictions) Bill [HL] is a private member’s bill sponsored by Baroness Burt of Solihull (Liberal Democrat). It would introduce an explicit requirement for schools in England to include non-religious worldviews such as humanism in religious education (RE). The House of Lords is scheduled to debate the bill at second reading on 3 February 2023.
![Education (Non-religious Philosophical Convictions) Bill [HL]: HL Bill 29 of 2022–23](https://lordslibrary-parliament.studio24.dev/content/uploads/sites/2/2020/09/Communities-1-1232x924.png)
On 3 February 2023, the second reading of the Water Safety (Curriculum) Bill [HL] is scheduled to take place in the House of Lords. The bill is a private member’s bill introduced by Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat). The bill seeks to make it compulsory to include water safety education in the curriculum for all schools (primary and secondary) in England and Wales.
![Water Safety (Curriculum) Bill [HL]: HL Bill 28 of 2022–23](https://lordslibrary-parliament.studio24.dev/content/uploads/sites/2/2020/09/Culture-media-and-sport-1232x924.png)
The government created the Oak National Academy during the Covid-19 pandemic to support remote learning. It has since been converted into an arms-length body that is focused on supporting teachers. Concerns have been raised that the creation of a body that provides free resources for teachers could negatively affect commercial suppliers. However, the government had argued that this impact would be lower than predicted by the market.
In Focus
In July 2022, the House of Lords Public Services Committee published a report on the future of the public services workforce. It argued that public sector staffing was “facing a crisis” due to a “vicious circle” of increasing demand, staff shortages, low morale and recruitment issues. The committee observed that these problems were not unsolvable, but said current efforts were at “far too small a scale”. It made recommendations which it argued, if implemented, would make a “substantial difference” and “secure a more sustainable public services workforce for the future”.
Research Briefing
This private member’s bill would seek to prohibit state-funded schools from admitting students wholly or partially based on criteria relating to ability or aptitude.
In Focus
National women’s sport teams have seen multiple successes in recent years. England’s victory at the UEFA Women’s Championship 2022 shone the spotlight on how these successes should be honoured and legacies built upon. Recent data has shown that women’s sport audiences have increased since the women’s European championship, and the government has made several commitments to build upon this momentum.
In Focus
Introduced on 11 May 2022, the Schools Bill is currently awaiting its third reading. This article looks at the background to the bill and its progress in Parliament. Although the bill was initially made up of 69 clauses, on 30 June 2022 the government announced that 18 clauses dealing with the regulation of academies and trusts would be removed. The government stated that new proposals on academy trust termination and intervention powers, which made up the bulk of the 18 clauses removed, would be brought forward in the Commons. There is speculation that the government may now “abandon” the bill.
In Focus
The Times Education Commission was composed of leaders from the fields of education, politics, public life and culture. It set out to examine the entire education system, arguing that the disruption of Covid-19 presented an opportunity to make fundamental changes to education provision. The commission published its final report in June 2022.
In Focus
In recent years, concerns have been raised about the horticultural sector’s workforce, including its dependence on foreign seasonal workers and the existence of a skills gap. The sector’s role in protecting the environment has also been discussed. This article considers both these issues and the government’s response.
In Focus
Following the release of this year’s GCSE and A-level results, some commentators have raised concerns that the educational attainment gap between the north and south of England has widened. This issue is the focus of an upcoming question for short debate in the House of Lords. In preparation for the debate, this briefing looks at recent commentary on the issue and provides an overview of this year’s results.
In Focus
The government has published an updated plan for music education. It emphasises aspects such as early years music; cooperation between schools and other organisations, for example music hubs; and providing a variety of ways to progress in music. Commentators have welcomed the plan but called for more funding. Some observers have also argued that the structure of testing in schools from age 14 skews the curriculum against music.
In Focus
In November 2021, the House of Lords Public Services Committee published a report entitled ‘Children in crisis: the role of public services in overcoming child vulnerability’. The report made several recommendations, including that the government ringfence the funding available for early intervention services provided by local authorities. The House of Lords is scheduled to debate this report on 11 July 2022.
Research Briefing
This proposed law seeks to reform and strengthen the protections for freedom of speech and academic freedom in higher education.
Research Briefing
The Schools Bill would implement many of the proposals set out in the government’s recent policy papers on schools and school funding. These include measures aimed at making it easier for schools to become academies; changes to the national funding formula; and introducing a register of children being educated outside of schools.
In Focus
Education measures in the 2022 Queen’s Speech are likely to be dominated by provisions outlined in the schools white paper, published in March 2022. In addition, proposals for new national standards on provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and legislation on school funding and the lifelong loan entitlement (LLE) are expected. A carry-over motion, agreed in April 2022, will also see the continuation of the passage of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill.
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