{"id":4809,"date":"2025-01-24T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-24T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thewitnessexeter.co.uk\/?p=4809"},"modified":"2025-02-07T20:55:07","modified_gmt":"2025-02-07T20:55:07","slug":"this-week-in-pmqs-education-education-concrete","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thewitnessexeter.co.uk\/?p=4809","title":{"rendered":"This Week in PMQs: Education, Education, Concrete."},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>4 Minute, 46 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

The Labour government has introduced significant plans for reform in education and healthcare, sparking heated debates across Parliament in this week\u2019s PMQs. This article takes a look at the Children\u2019s Wellbeing and Schools Bill and plans to rebuild the NHS, two key policy initiatives shaping the national agenda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Schools Bill<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Children\u2019s Wellbeing and Schools Bill<\/a> was introduced by Labour in December 2024 and is currently in the Committee Stage. The new government wishes for \u201cthe bill to improve the safeguarding of children (in care institutions and schools) and to raise educational standards<\/a>.\u201d This week, the Leader of the Conservative party Kemi Badenoch grilled the Prime Minister over the detail of the Bill during PMQs<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Badenoch labelled the bill<\/a> as \u201can act of vandalism\u201d, before going on to voice her concern<\/a> over the taxation of the education of children with special needs, possible pay cuts for teachers and cutting pathways to teaching, underlining the removal of single-word Ofsted judgement was obviously intended \u201cso that parents cannot see standards slipping.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In response, the Prime Minister was keen to point out the work being done for children regarding wellbeing and care<\/a>, highlighting the \u201cprovisions for protecting children, including a provision to stop abusers taking children out of school and a unique identifier to ensure that the whereabouts of all children are known.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what is going on with the changes to school regulation? Clause 44 of the bill<\/a> revokes the requirement to turn failing schools into academies. In the future, this will be at the discretion to the Secretary of State. The new government intends to create a variation in its approaches towards dealing with failing schools other than \u201cforced academisation\u201d<\/a>. Labour wants local government-run schools to \u201cbenefit from different approaches that suited their circumstances,\u201d creating individual solutions<\/a> for each school with civil servants, school leaders and local schools alongside their supporting networks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teachers could be subjected to a pay cut. The bill wants to introduce<\/a> a \u201cstatutory school teacher pay and conditions framework.\u201d. This could mean that those paid more could be forced to take a pay cut because of the bill. The government later agreed to amend the bill stipulating that<\/a> \u201cacademies only have to adhere to a teacher pay \u2018floor\u2019\u201d. Facing mounting pressure, the government changed the bill<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tory concern that the government is cutting routes to teaching is clear in the bill. Badenoch criticised the implication that \u201cdoctors are not sufficiently qualified to teach biology and that an Olympic medallist cannot teach PE.\u201d The bill stipulates that teachers must have \u201cQualified Teacher Status (QTS)\u201d<\/a>. Moreover, the PM asserted that wanting qualified teachers is not \u201cextraordinary\u201d<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Department for Education\u2019s (DfE) decision to remove single word ratings for schools has been present since September. The DfE claim that \u201cone word judgements aren\u2019t working for parents or schools,\u201d deciding to remove the judgements<\/a>. The Tory Party had failed to mention that the DfE is replacing the system with \u201cSchool Report Cards\u201d which will rate schools on<\/a> \u201cquality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development and leadership and management.\u201d The DfE wants to empower parents to<\/a> \u201ccompare schools by looking at how they perform in each of these areas\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Healthcare<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While education reforms have sparked debate over safeguarding and standards, Labour\u2019s healthcare initiatives focus on addressing infrastructure challenges and delays. This week the party seemed keen to point out their inheritance of the health care system. Labour emphasised its hospital building plans during PMQs<\/a>, highlighting projects in Kettering, Huddersfield and Watford hospitals. The PM remarked<\/a> that there was \u201cdeep anger about the delay to the work because of the Conservative\u2019s failure to have a plan.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One structural problem is concrete used to build some hospitals. Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC)<\/a> has been identified in 47 hospitals and healthcare buildings<\/a>, posing \u201ca risk to staff and patients.\u201d RAAC, which has been used for roofing materials, is a serious problem because it is at risk of breaking without warning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Labour has also ripped up the previous administration’s plans for building new hospitals. The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Rt Hon Wes Streeting MP, commented on the state of the NHS<\/a>: \u201cIf I was shocked by the state of this programme, patients ought to be furious. Not only because the promises made to them were never going to be kept. They also desperately need new buildings and new hospitals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Department for Health and Social Care have announced that they will be tackling the problem in three waves<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n