Anna Firth, Member of Parliament for Southend West, appeared as a member of the House of Commons Education Select Committee on the 22nd March. This was Anna’s first appearance since being appointed to the Committee which is chaired by the Rt Hon Andrew Halfon MP.
The witnesses before the committee were Nicola Dandridge, Chief Executive, Office for Students; Clare Merchant, Chief Executive, UCAS; Quintin McKellar, Vice President for UUK and Vice-Chancellor at University of Hertfordshire, Universities UK; and Professor Debra Humphris, Chair Professor, University Alliance.
Anna, who has a longstanding interest in education having founded the Invicta National Academy in July 2020, questioned the panel on the causes of student dissatisfaction with their higher education, citing the fact that 41% of students in the 2021 Academic Survey felt that their education was poor or very poor value for money. She asked specifically about the failure to return to face-to-face teaching in many universities and the lack of support systems for students experiencing mental health issues. In response, Clare Merchant said “I agree there is confusion and we need to do more to make sure students are aware of [the available] methods of recourse.”
Anna pressed the panel further on the slow return to face-to-face teaching, observing the correlation between the lack of such teaching and the fact that 52% of students have reported feeling lonely and isolated. She stated: “when you meet people face-to-face, it’s more than about just the learning, it’s about the relationship and the human contact... we must get the majority of these courses back to being face-to-face.”
The purpose of the Committee is to scrutinise the work of the Department of Education, covering children’s social care, schools, colleges, the early years, and higher education. The Committee also holds regular hearings with DfE’s arms-length bodies, including Ofsted, Ofqual and the Children’s Commissioner.
Anna had previously expressed how pleased she was to be appointed to the Education Select Committee due to her particular interest in education having pledged to make the thirty schools in Southend West one of her top priorities as MP. Following the committee meeting, Anna said “I am so glad to have made my first appearance on the Education Select Committee this afternoon. Being a member of the committee will allow me to scrutinise all facets of education in this country and give a particular voice to the interests of the thirty schools and the University of Essex Campus in Southend West.”
