Education ministers questioned on reopening and recovery
Education ministers Nick Gibb and Vicky Ford gave evidence to MPs on Tuesday, as part of the education select committee’s inquiry into left behind white pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Before moving on to the main issues of the inquiry, chair of the committee Robert Halfon MP asked Nick Gibb about the wider opening of schools, pointing towards evidence from Public Health England saying that schools can safely reopen.
Nick Gibb responded that while schools can open safely, all the actions taken in school, such as social distancing as well as the closing of schools to all but the vulnerable and children of key workers, are designed to reduce transmissions in the community. He confirmed that schools would not be reopening before the 8th of March to keep transmissions down, and that the DfE will be publishing more information during the week commencing the 22nd February, with a roadmap to reopening.
Last week Schools North East published a roadmap to reopening, which contained the steps required to allow schools to plan for a safe return for all students and staff. Any roadmap must involve clear communication with the teaching profession, and it is encouraging that the government is sticking to their two weeks notice pledge. You can read our full roadmap here.
Robert Halfon also asked about catch-up funding, and whether or not the DfE are considering extending the school day. Nick Gibb said that they are currently open to all ideas, and will be taking advice from Sir Kevan Collins, recently appointed education recovery commissioner. When asked if catch-up funding would be flexible, and be used for non-academic activities, such as mental health or physical education Nick Gibb answered that it isn’t rigidly tied, arguing that one of the ‘great joys’ of the academy programme is the autonomy it allows for schools to drive up standards.
Schools North East believes that it is crucial that as we look towards a ‘recovery’ and ‘catch-up’, trust is given to the profession to apply those solutions that work best for their school. It is welcome that the DfE is remaining open to flexibility on spending of the catch-up funding, however Nick Gibb also emphasised the importance of the National Tutoring Programme, which has had poor uptake in the North East. Clear recognition is needed of the differing levels of disruption caused by the pandemic across the country, and that a one-size-fits-all approach to addressing this disruption is not appropriate.
Following this, the committee asked Nick Gibb and Vicky Ford about why white pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds fall behind their peers. Nick Gibb said that addressing the attainment gap had been central to all the work the DfE had done since 2010, pointing towards the approaches to teaching maths, reading, and phonics at primary, and the EBacc at secondary. These, he argued, aimed to tackle low expectations around disadvantaged communities, through a mixture of strong behavioural policies, a knowledge rich curriculum, and good teaching. He pointed towards several schools, such as Michaela School in London, as tackling these low expectations and as such driving up standards in disadvantaged communities.
When further asked about the specific challenges of white disadvantaged pupils, Vicky Ford said that income remained the strongest indicator of educational disadvantage. Nick Gibb agreed, saying that poverty is the real issue, and reiterated his belief of the need to challenge the low expectations that leads to the ‘fatalistic assumption’ that children from poorer families should have a different curriculum.
Gateshead MP Ian Mearns asked if the ministers recognised that there are regional disparities. Nick Gibb said that there are regional disparities, but this was in the take up of the EBacc. He repeated again that this is all about high expectations, behaviour policy, the curriculum, and good teaching, and that poverty is the issue, not place or skin colour.
This commitment to closing the disadvantage gap, and recognition of the impact of poverty on educational outcomes, is encouraging. However, it is not clear that the DfE are listening to a wide range of representatives in the teaching profession, relying on a particular group of schools that do not necessarily represent the complex challenges of schools across the country, or even the communities in which they are situated. As we. hopefully, look towards the end of school closures and lockdown, it is crucial that the government trusts the profession and allows schools the flexibility to identify the impact of the coronavirus within their local context.