Today our Education in the Media blog looks at how we are supporting families with holiday clubs over the summer break, as well as the Education Secretary’s new brief and the latest on how we are building provision for home learning.
Supporting Families
Today, Wednesday 31 July, the chair of the Work and Pensions Select Committee Frank Field MP has written to the Education Secretary Gavin Williamson and the Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd, calling on them to take action to stop children going hungry during school holidays. This has been covered by the Mirror, the Independent, the Express, the Metro and TES.
A Government spokesperson said:
We’re helping people to improve their lives through work and ensuring those on a low income keep more of what they earn by increasing the National Living Wage and cutting taxes for 32 million people.
There are more people in work than ever before and wages continue to outstrip inflation, but we recognise that some families need more support. That’s why we’re investing £9 million in free summer holiday clubs and continuing to spend £95 billion a year on working age welfare to support families.
Skills and Further Education
Today, the Times reported on the news that the Education Secretary Gavin Williamson will be taking personal responsibility for the brief previously held by the Skills Minister.
Read our blog for the full announcement.
Home Learning Environment
Today, we are launching a commercial competition for app developers and technology companies to submit their early learning apps for an accreditation with the home learning environment. This has been covered by ITV News, the Express and Star, TES and FE News.
This news follows our announcement in February that we would be offering disadvantaged families access to particular apps free of charge in 12 pilot areas, as part of our ambition to improve the home learning environment.
Children and Families Minister Kemi Badenoch said:
A great education is the key to unlocking every child’s potential and ensuring no-one is left behind. We want to work together with families to give all children the best possible start and support parents to begin the learning process at home.
Digital technology means there is a wealth of fun activities at parents’ fingertips, but the content of these is important too. That’s why we want to help parents make confident, informed choices about the resources they use, so they can help inspire a love of learning in their children.
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