The Government is continually being updated by the scientific information and reviewing the lockdown measures to consider options on how we can slowly start to return to normal. I had a glimpse of the new normal this week as I returned to Parliament for Education Questions. Although I was on the front bench socially distanced from the Secretary of State, Gavin Williamson, the rest of my colleagues were answering questions from home through video conferencing, as were most of the MPs asking questions. It made for an unusually ordered and quiet atmosphere for the House of Commons Chamber, however, as we are finding in many aspects of our life, the technology worked really well.
It’s not just Parliament that has gone digital. In my role as Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills at the Department for Education, (DfE), I would usually be out and about on visits around the country on Thursdays. This week, due to lockdown, we are trying something different and I’m going on a virtual tour of an FE college in Grimsby, where I’ll be partaking in on online lessons in animal care, maths and engineering!
Digital lessons and online learning have been hugely important at every level of education throughout lockdown. The Government recently launched a new service called the Oak Academy, which is a brilliant digital tool offering 180 video lessons each week covering all the major subjects up to year 10. Another great learning tool is BBC Bitesize which I know has helped many parents in their new role to keep their children motivated and learning from home.
Of course, not every child can access the internet, that is why we are supporting the most disadvantaged children by providing laptops to continue their study, as well as, 4G routers to families that have no mobile or broadband access.
Locally, across West Sussex, we have kept all but one of the schools in the county open to support children of key workers and the most vulnerable families. This has only been possible thanks to the hard work and dedication of our teachers who are still going into school. We owe a big thank you to all of them.
So much is happening to ensure education continues so that no one is left behind when things return to normal. Making sure everyone is ready and able to take their next steps is vital. That is why every child who was due to take A levels or GCSEs this summer will get the qualifications they deserve. We have also launched ‘The Skills Toolkit’ a free government website offering short courses that last between two and twelve weeks that will boost your employability by learning key digital skills for the workplace.
At some point we will be gradually returning to work, school and college so ensuring we keep learning and developing our skills will be crucial, not only for every one of us individually, but also for the economy as a whole.
