Education and Skills Bill
Today was a big day in the world of education. There was a major debate on the new Education and Skills Bill that I was happy to be called to speak during. The Bill encompasses principles very similar to those included in my Private Members’ Bill last year in which I focussed on giving every young person the chance to fulfil their potential through education and training right up to the age of 18. I believe in lifelong learning but what I really want this Bill to do, and what was also the essential element of my Private Members’ Bill, is to give young people the personalised learning and the mentoring that will help them choose the right academic, non academic or vocational course. It will also to ensure that they stay in some form of education, training or work with training until the age of 18.
A high percentage of young people these days have the chance not only to stay on in education to 18 but to stay in education until 21, undertake postgraduate education and even a second gap year if they so wish, not entering full time employment until their mid twenties. I want every young person in this country to be able to stay in education and training or work with training until the age of 18. That gives them a fair chance. I think this new Bill will do this, and it’s not trapping people in school; there are many different ways that they can stay in education and training.
I passionately believe that the initiatives in this Bill will change the culture of our country. It will take time but because it won’t come into force until 2013 and only fully in 2015, we have plenty of time to make sure that this works. We have time to find out what the best options are to keep young people engaged in education and training right the way through to 18. I’ve come up with two ways of approaching this. Firstly lets have a commission of people who are knowledgeable about education and training; they can be academics, employers, sportsmen and so on. They can help to devise the kind of things young people want in that gap between 16 and 18. Secondly, a shadow commission of young people themselves to help design what is right for them. The watchword will be quality. If what we offer people between the ages of 14 and 19 is something of high quality it will be popular, people will do it, we will change the culture of this country and people will get the chance to fulfil their potential.
