Memorandum submitted by Patrick Hall MP

 

 

Re: Submission of written evidence: The Children, Schools and Families Select Committee New Inquiry into Teacher Training

I am writing to you to ask you to consider an issue to which some of my constituents have drawn my attention. I apologise for the lateness of this submission.

In Bedford and Kempston the education service faces considerable challenges over the coming years. We will have a new unitary authority in April, we face reorganisation of the education system from three to two tier, we will be designing and building new schools under Building Schools for the Future and we have a school which will become an academy.

Although new to the Bedford area, none of these challenges are unique. The knowledge about how to make these changes work well exists within the wider education system but I understand that it is not easy to access especially for busy professionals.

I understand that both in medicine and in local government there have been significant new national developments in the way that professional knowledge is shared and accessed via the internet which are not available to the education sector.

Can I ask you to consider recommending that the education sector is provided similarly with the most up-to-date services to support the sharing of knowledge about effective practice?

I am happy to provide further details on request.

2 February 2009