On Monday 18 October, members of the House of Lords will continue the examination of the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill in report stage.
The Skills and Post-16 Education Bill makes provisions for further education, technical education and training to support people to develop skills.
The report stage is an extra chance for members to closely scrutinise elements of the bill and make changes.
Members have put forward amendments to consider. They cover a range of subjects, including:
- making it an offence to advertise and provide ‘cheating services’ to students
- ensuring sufficient Special Educational Needs (SEN) training for teachers of students in further education
- ensuring people without an A level, or equivalent level 3 qualification, are able to study a fully funded approved course.
On Tuesday 12 October, members put forward changes to consider at report stage. There were four divisions on proposed amendments to the bill, including two votes on the future of BTECs:
- The second vote was on amendment 29, which ensures that the new T-Levels are fully rolled out and acceptable to students, employers and universities before approval for established vocational qualifications, such as BTECs, is removed. Members voted 155 in favour and 150 against, so the change was made.
- The third vote was on amendment 31, which ensures that students wishing to take two BTECs or equivalent vocational qualifications will be allowed to do so. Members voted 148 in favour and 129 against, so the change was made.
You can find more information on the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill here.