argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Ian Richard Peregrine Liddell-Grainger (Conservative, Centre-right): The Secretary of State has answered two questions from colleagues on very special schools. I have two such schools in Bridgwater: Penrose and Elmwood. These children have some of the most difficult challenges in society, and I do not yet understand what the Secretary of State is going to do, if the schools are shut down, to make sure that those children are cared for through the county council system and the social work system. By and large, their parents are working. We need clarification —these children cannot be left without major help.
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Gavin Alexander Williamson (Conservative, Centre-right): I am sure that the schools to which my hon. Friend refers will have children who will have an education, health and care plan, which is the reason why they attend that school, so they would be included in the category of vulnerable.
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Mark James Harper (Conservative, Centre-right): On the issue of key workers, I think it is going to be a little more complex than the Secretary of State says. For example, what about those who work in our food distribution sector? However, I wish to ask about what he said about schools being closed until further notice— I am thinking back to the question that the Prime Minister was asked at Prime Minister’s questions by my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May). Does he have any expectation that schools will open, for the population as a whole, at any time before the end of this year?
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Gavin Alexander Williamson (Conservative, Centre-right): Obviously, my greatest hope is that we could get schools opened very rapidly, but I am going to be guided by the best scientific and medical advice in terms of when we do that. My right hon. Friend also referred to the fact that the term key workers should not just be seen to refer only to NHS professionals—that it is much broader. That is very clearly understood by the Cabinet Office, and what we do will reflect that fact.
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Cherilyn Mackrory (Conservative, Centre-right): Will my right hon. Friend join me in thanking all the staff and everyone involved, including parents, for the effort they have made so far and for the common-sense and sensible approach that they have taken to keeping schools open? We need to understand that we are doing this as a national effort and everyone has to play their part to keep the NHS at a capacity at which it can cope with this virus, and this change is part of that effort. My one concern in my area, which is rural, is whether the school transport provision will still be in place for those children who still need to attend their schools because they are eligible.
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Gavin Alexander Williamson (Conservative, Centre-right): We are certainly very much hoping that the school transport system will be there, although that is dependent on other strains within the transport network. My hon. Friend highlights the importance of saying an enormous thank you to those many public servants who have been doing so much to support parents and families and, most importantly, to support children. We are incredibly indebted to them, but we recognise that we will still be asking an awful lot more of them in the future.
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Gavin Alexander Williamson (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Lady mentions the helpline, and we have put extra resource on to that and we have made sure that it is open at weekends. We will also be writing directly to schools with a clear set of guidance on how to proceed. Our regional school commissioners are working closely with local education authorities to provide all the information needed going forward.
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Jason McCartney (Conservative, Centre-right): I appreciate that the Secretary of State is trying to bring clarity. My question is on GCSEs. He has clearly said that they are not going to happen, and that there will be some kind of system for awarding them. When he comes back and tells us how that system will work, the year 11 students will presumably then know exactly what their grades are. In fact, they might know their grades in the next few weeks. This comes at an emotional cost to year 11 students who have been revising hard, studying hard and preparing themselves for the biggest educational challenge of their lives so far. What support will be put in place to help with the emotional challenge that those year 11 students are going through?
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Gavin Alexander Williamson (Conservative, Centre-right): Like everyone else, I recognise that this is not what one would call an ideal situation. I certainly did not want to be the Education Secretary who cancelled all exams. We realise we have to have a fair system in order properly to reflect the work that all pupils have put into their GCSEs, A-levels and the other qualifications they have been entered into. We recognise that this comes at considerable emotional cost, as they have been working together. We are in exceptional circumstances. We are not in a position in which we are able to provide the usual settings and support that one might expect in a school, but we are looking at different ways in which we can support young people through what will be a difficult and challenging time as they face up to the reality of the fact that the school or college that they are incredibly fond of and which has been part of their life for such a long time will not be part of their everyday life.
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Gavin Alexander Williamson (Conservative, Centre-right): We will certainly write to all local authorities and all schools with guidance, and that will happen today. Before I came to the House, I spoke to the director of children’s services who represents the Association of Directors of Children’s Services about what we are doing. They were very clear about the need for local and national Government to work together. On supply teachers, there will be exceptional demand for the services of all teachers in the system—those on regular contracts and supply teachers.
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Daniel Rayne Kruger (Conservative, Centre-right): I appreciate that children will not be sitting any exams this year, but is the expectation that they will continue to receive an education? Is there anything we can do to support schools to deliver remote teaching, and to support parents who want to help with home learning?
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Gavin Alexander Williamson (Conservative, Centre-right): As my hon. Friend will be aware, schools have been doing a lot to provide children with work and enable them to continue to study if the school closes. We are working closely with the BBC, and we are looking at putting more resources online in order to support children to continue to learn even if they are not in an education setting.
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Gavin Alexander Williamson (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman will probably have heard my response earlier: the list of key workers will be published tomorrow. That will be available for schools, and we are very conscious that we need to get that information to all schools as quickly as possible.
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Andrew Iain Lewer (Conservative, Centre-right): As chairman of the all-party group, I bring the positive message from the independent education sector that it is part of communities—it wants to help, and it wants the Department to know that. There is also a concern: will boarding schools be allowed or be expected to continue caring for any remaining boarders, especially international ones, who have not gone home or cannot do so?
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Gavin Alexander Williamson (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend highlights an issue that is quite common in the university sector for international students. As I have said with international students in university settings, we must recognise our obligations to those young people, and we recognise that in boarding schools as well.
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Gavin Alexander Williamson (Conservative, Centre-right): There is a standard appeal process on exam grades, and that has always been structured to ensure that it is completed before university begins. We are looking at putting in place additional measures, such as enabling a child rapidly to take a fresh set of tests or exams, but we have to be conscious of the fact that we do not know how the virus will manifest itself and in what sort of timescales we will see peak and reduction. I am not in a position to be able to say on what dates that will happen and the consequences that the virus may have in additional knock-on effects for other institutions and academic years.
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Benjamin David Bradley (Conservative, Centre-right): As a parent of two primary-age children, I know that the conversation about how best to provide routine and educational support at home has been going on in school communities for quite some time. As my right hon. Friend says, schools are working very hard to rush out resources that can be used at home. In my previous role on the Education Committee I met many education technology companies that have excellent apps and resources online. What can the Department do to help, promote and highlight some of those existing resources to parents?
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Gavin Alexander Williamson (Conservative, Centre-right): We already have an edtech strategy for promoting this, but we will see a much more rapid and speedy evolution of some of these learning aids and resources, and we must look at how best we can harness new technology to ensure that all children are in a position to be able to get the very best out of education, even in the coming weeks.
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Gavin Alexander Williamson (Conservative, Centre-right): We have to recognise that schools such as Gibside will be facing considerable pressures in terms of staffing and the spread of the virus, but also in terms of pupils who may be unwell. Many children who attend special schools such as Gibside will be on an EHCP, which obviously puts them in the category of vulnerable children for whom we are looking to make sure there is continued provision.
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Harriett Mary Morison Baldwin (Conservative, Centre-right): This has been a sobering statement, and I want to put on record how much I appreciate the tone used by the Secretary of State and the hon. Member for Ashton-under- Lyne (Angela Rayner) My question is on behalf of university students. What will they pay for their tuition fees?
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Gavin Alexander Williamson (Conservative, Centre-right): There are currently no plans to change the tuition fees. Obviously, as has been highlighted, universities will continue teaching online. We will be working very closely with Universities UK to ensure students have their grades in a timely manner to ensure they are able to move on to the next stage of their lives.
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Gavin Alexander Williamson (Conservative, Centre-right): We will certainly be looking at working with local authorities such as Newcastle City Council on making sure we have the broadest provision of meals for children and on how best that is delivered. As I touched on in the statement, we will look at how we can grow and expand that not just in Newcastle but in many other areas The hon. Lady highlights an important point about the digital divide in this country, and we will be looking at working with schools to ensure that pupils who do not have access to digital resources can have other resources that enable them to learn when schools are closed.
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
James Oliver Wild (Conservative, Centre-right): Until now, the expert advice has been that a consequence of closing schools is that children may have to stay with their grandparents, who are the most vulnerable people. What is now the advice for parents? Should they take advantage of grandparents? If not, may I urge that the support package being considered by the Chancellor addresses this issue?
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Gavin Alexander Williamson (Conservative, Centre-right): We will be making sure that we publish further advice on A-levels next week. We have had discussions with Universities UK, and we need to look at how we can ensure universities are open and ready to take in a new cohort of students in the next academic year, but the fairness of the system and making sure young people do not miss out on opportunities for which they have worked so hard is at the core of what we will be doing.
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Social Welfare
Gavin Alexander Williamson (Conservative, Centre-right): Certainly. The reason why we have announced the response that we have is to ensure that it covers a broad range of children, including not just those of key workers, but those who are vulnerable. The hon. Lady may like to write to me with specific suggestions and actions that she feels the Department should consider taking. My concern and interest is making sure that we do everything in the interests of both stemming this virus and protecting the interests of those children no matter where they live in this country.
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Jacob Young (Conservative, Centre-right): Will my right hon. Friend clarify whether the children he outlined earlier will continue to attend the same school, and what considerations have been given to children-teacher ratios and class sizes? Small schools such as Zetland Primary School in Redcar may struggle in the current climate.
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Gavin Alexander Williamson (Conservative, Centre-right): As part of the Bill that we are bringing forward, we will be removing the ratios that present some of the challenges to schools. I would be wrong, though, to give my hon. Friend the promise that children will necessarily be able to continue to attend their current school. We do not know at the moment the consequences of the spread of this virus, and we may need to show a high degree of flexibility in how we provide that support and care. Sometimes that may require children attending different schools, hopefully in close proximity to their home. None the less, we do recognise the challenges that are going to be raised as a result of this announcement.
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Gavin Alexander Williamson (Conservative, Centre-right): The financial health of the university sector is obviously of key critical interest to us. We will be working closely with Universities UK to ensure the stability and strength of that important sector for not just learning but the economy. We urge universities who are going to face financial difficulties and pressures to start engaging in an early dialogue and be honest about some of the challenges that they are going to face financially. Otherwise, it is difficult to respond if something comes out of the blue The issue of international students is important. We have to be realistic and expect the number of international students who attend UK universities to be lower next year. How we work with the sector to replace that capacity in different ways is something that the Department is already working on. Certainly, we are already having those discussions with UUK.
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Philip Thomas Hollobone (Conservative, Centre-right): There are six big secondary schools in the borough of Kettering. Does the Secretary of State envisage that, to continue the education of children of key workers, those cohorts will be educated in the six separate schools, or that some arrangement will be made between the schools for them all to come together and teach the children in one place?
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Gavin Alexander Williamson (Conservative, Centre-right): In the initial instance, we hope that provision can be provided in the school that the child attends, but we recognise that, with the spread of the virus, that will not be realistic all the way through, so we will have to look at how we show flexibility. I have no doubt that, as in many towns and boroughs up and down the country, there is already a deep level of co-operation between schools in the local community in terms of sharing resources and learning. There are often good partnerships, but we will work with local education authorities, as well as regional schools commissioners, to help to facilitate that.
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Gavin Alexander Williamson (Conservative, Centre-right): The entitlement will be for all children who would normally be in receipt of free school meals, as against a much broader entitlement. We hope that families with vouchers will make best use of that money to make sure that it goes as far as possible. We certainly hope that it is a nutritious and good lunch Going back to what the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne Central (Chi Onwurah) raised about how we can work with local authorities and schools to offer more hot meals on premises, that is something that we are looking at. We have to recognise that there will be constraints in the system, however, especially with the spread of the virus, which will mean that that will not necessarily always be possible.
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Social Welfare
Gavin Alexander Williamson (Conservative, Centre-right): It does apply across the board. We have already written to early years settings to inform them that the funding that we have been providing for them will continue, regardless of changes in the number of children attending those settings, which gives them some stability in terms of future funding.
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Scott Lloyd Benton (Conservative, Centre-right): Many voluntary groups will be keen to work with schools and parents to provide additional support for vulnerable children—for example, in breakfast clubs. Will the Secretary of State thank voluntary groups for their work and encourage schools to continue to work with them to support vulnerable children in these difficult times?
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Gavin Alexander Williamson (Conservative, Centre-right): I know that my hon. Friend is a great champion of such issues in his constituency, and it was a great privilege to be able to join him on a recent visit to one of the high schools there. Let me take this opportunity to thank the many volunteers who contribute so much to our school system. We recognise, in these unique times, that we will be turning to whole communities in supporting one another and supporting those who are most vulnerable, whether they are young or old, to help them to get through the coming weeks.
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Gavin Alexander Williamson (Conservative, Centre-right): We certainly will be doing that. My hon. Friend has highlighted the fact that schools, head teachers, other teachers and all the support staff constantly go above and beyond in supporting children who are in their care.
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Gavin Alexander Williamson (Conservative, Centre-right): Yes, we have looked into what we need to do. The key point, which I made in response to the question from the hon. Member for Luton South (Rachel Hopkins), is that if universities are in financial distress they will need to highlight that at the earliest possible stage. so that we can establish how we can best deal with it. As for the issue of international students, we recognise our obligation to ensure that they have continued accommodation here if they are unable to return to their home countries. The university sector has been excellent in responding and ensuring that accommodation is available, but there will be some students who cannot return home, and we will continue to support them.
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Robert Butler (Conservative, Centre-right): My right hon. Friend said that he expected schools and nurseries to remain open during the Easter holidays for vulnerable children and the children of key workers. What sort of service does he expect them to provide, and what additional help will they be given?
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Gavin Alexander Williamson (Conservative, Centre-right): We realise that while we cannot ask schools and education settings to provide a normal school curriculum, it is important to provide activities that engage and encourage young people to attend. We will work across the board, but there are no better people than teachers to really understand what engages children and keeps them motivated.
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Gavin Alexander Williamson (Conservative, Centre-right): We will be working closely with schools to ensure that there is a proper distribution of support. We have also made it clear to schools—I hope that I made it clear earlier in the statement—that costs incurred by them will be fully reimbursed.
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Felicity Christiana Buchan (Conservative, Centre-right): In answer to a previous question, my right hon. Friend said that schools could potentially form together into clusters; that does make sense in central London, where schools are close together. What will be the process of organising all that? Who is going to take the lead—the local authority? Clearly, there is not much time to make these arrangements.
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Gavin Alexander Williamson (Conservative, Centre-right): A key element will be the local education authority, with regional schools commissioners working together to promote those clusters. There is already a high level of cross-working between schools, but we recognise that that level of working together will enable us to provide much more robust provision throughout this crisis.
Educational Settings — House of Commons, 2020-03-18
Topic: Education
Andrew John Carter (Conservative, Centre-right): May I associate myself with my right hon. Friend’s earlier comments and pay tribute to the incredible work that teachers have been doing over the last few weeks? I have spoken to many heads in Warrington this afternoon, who have been fantastic. The last few weeks have really shown true spirit in the classroom—from teachers and support staff. Will the Government be reimbursing schools for any additional costs they incur through providing free school meals for children once schools have closed? Also, if schools choose to use voucher schemes, will he ensure that those families have priority access to supermarkets?