Michael Gove agrees to visit Harlow College

Yesterday in Parliament, I asked Michael Gove (the Education Secretary) about the exciting new plans for University Technical Colleges, and also the replacement for the Educational Maintenance Allowance:

Robert Halfon (Harlow): Young people in Harlow and elsewhere will welcome the investment in university technical schools. Will my right hon. Friend come to visit Harlow college, which is preparing a bid for such a school and would greatly welcome a visit from him. On EMA, I ask my right hon. Friend to consider giving bursaries to students who improve their academic performance, rather than basing them only on attendance?

Michael Gove: I should be delighted to visit Harlow at some point to see what we can do to advance the very exciting plans for a university technical college. I am also happy to confirm that the flexibility of the new scheme will enable college principals to tailor it to the specific needs of students. It is true that the old EMA provided an incentive for attendance, but this scheme could help college principals to give more support to the very poorest students who put in the most impressive performances and whose learning needs to be supported most strongly.

You can read the full question in context HERE and see a Parliamentary Motion that I tabled on this HERE.



by Robert Halfon - www.roberthalfon.blogspot.com