House of Commons - Education and Skills - Seventh Report

House of Commons portcullis

House of Commons

Session 2004-05
Publications on the internet
Education and Skills Committee Publications

Education and Skills - Seventh Report

Here you can browse the report together with the Proceedings of the Committee. The published report was ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 21 March 2005.

Contents

Terms of Reference

Report
Summary
1 Introduction

Background
Principal findings

2 The Purpose of Prison Education

The purpose of prison education
The link to recidivism
Research on the link to recidivism
Positive justification of prison education
The current basic skills agenda
More investment is needed in preventative measures:

3 The need for a clear purpose and overarching strategy

No overarching strategy exists
Fallen between two stools
No champion of prison education
The role of the Offender Learning and Skills Unit
The need for the Government to change the public image of prison education

4 What an overarching strategy should look like

An overarching strategy of provision based on the individual
Should be person-centred
Flexible and learner-centred provision
A thorough and robust assessment of needs
Identifying special educational needs
Education in the context of wider needs
An entitlement to education
Individual Learning Plans and Sentence Plans
Transfer of records
The continuation of provision on release
Support on release
Link to community / mainstream services for short-term prisoners
Importance of resettlement strategy
Role of the National Offender Management Service

5 The structures for delivery of prison education

National structures for delivery—the Offender Learning and Skills Unit
Regional structures for delivery—the Learning and Skills Council
Managing delivery through contracts
LSC Proposals
Funding
Local structures for delivery
Prison education staff
Managing delivery through targets
Impact of existing targets
The resettlement Key Performance Target
Measuring the success of prison education against its purpose

6 The content of prison education

Delivering effective education and training programmes
Description of current provision
The quality of current provision in comparison to external standards
Internet access
The Basic skills agenda—a broader curriculum is needed
Embedded skills
A joined-up approach to education, training, and work
Job-related training
Links to employers
Workshops
Real work—real pay
Motivation to learn
Equal pay
Mentoring
Work of charities in prison education

7 Delivering prison education in the context of the wider prison regime

Barriers to the effective delivery of prison education
Short sentences
Physical space
Conflict with other regime areas
Prison Staff
High turnover of staff
Escort duties—a Key Performance Target
Prison Officers are working under considerable pressures
Training of Prison Officers
Such changes are outside the remit of the DfES

Appendix 1
Appendix 2
Appendix 3
Conclusions and recommendations

Formal minutes
Witnesses
MINUTES OF EVIDENCE

Wednesday 30 June 2004

Wednesday 15 September 2004

Wednesday 20 October 2004

Wednesday 27 October 2004

Wednesday 3 November 2004

Wednesday 10 November 2004

Wednesday 17 November 2004

Monday 6 December 2004

Tuesday 8 February 2005
List of written evidence
List of unprinted written evidence
Reports from the Education and Skills Committee, Session 2004-05

© Parliamentary copyright 2005
Prepared 31 March 2005