Education Secretary faces questions on RAAC, transgender guidance, Ofsted and childcare
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan will face questions from the Education Committee on a range of topical issues including RAAC, transgender guidance, Ofsted and childcare reforms among others.
Meeting details
Likely areas of questioning
MPs will quiz the Minister on the number of schools and colleges affected by the RAAC concrete crisis, and the alternative arrangements that have been made for over 200 affected schools. The Department for Education (DfE) has come under criticism since September for the lack of information it has published regarding the provision of temporary classrooms and the number of children having to be taught remotely – both issues the cross-party Committee will seek updates on.
There will also be questions following up on the Prime Minister’s statement that schools will be issued with updated guidance “in the autumn” on transgender issues and (RSHE) Relationships, Sex and Health Education.
Sir Martyn Oliver is due to take over as His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Ofsted in January after a critical year for the regulator. MPs will be interested to hear the Education Secretary’s assessment of the challenges facing Ofsted and her view as to what Sir Martyn’s key priorities should be when taking up the post.
With the Government preparing to massively expand its free childcare offering in 2024 and 2025, the Committee will question the Minister on how the early years sector will scale up to meet the expected increase in demand, and whether there is sufficient funding to put childcare businesses on a sustainable footing.
The Committee will ask questions following up on the Government’s responses to its inquiries on careers education and further education, including the Prime Minister’s recent proposals of replacing A Levels with an Advanced British Standard, and that maths should be taught to all 16 to 18-year-olds.
MPs may also raise questions that stem from other strands of its work around teacher recruitment and retention, financial education and industrial action at universities.