A wide-ranging inquiry, which is taking evidence until the end of May, has been launched to look at how the outbreak of COVID-19 has affected all aspects of the education system, from early years through to schools, universities and other training providers and the children and young people who attend them.
Its early years remit includes the impact on the childcare market as a whole, including the financial implications of closures of early years settings and independent training providers, and the effect on the funded entitlement. It will also look at long-term issues such as how children’s early development and vulnerable children in general have been affected.
Other terms of reference include the capacity of children’s services to support vulnerable children and young people.
The inquiry’s schools remit will include the impact of cancelling exams and what support available for school pupils during closures, and how the critical workers policy has been implemented.
It also wants to look at the impact on apprentices.
The inquiry has been set up by the cross-party Education Select Committee, chaired by Conservative MP Robert Halfon, and will scrutinise how the Department for Education is dealing with the situation.
For more information see https://committees.parliament.uk/work/202/the-impact-of-covid19-on-education-and-childrens-services/
- The Women and Equalities Committee wants to hear about the different and disproportionate impact that the Coronavirus – and measures to tackle it - is having on people with protected characteristics under the Equality Act see: https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/women-and-equalities-committee/news-parliament-2017/coronavirus-covid-19-inquiry-aunched-19-21-/
