MP calls for BTEC courses to stay
THE MP for Rochdale has hit back against plans to scrap BTECS - and the treatment of women by the Saudi government.
Tony Lloyd has demanded the Education Minister reassess plans to scrap BTEC qualifications.
Young people in Rochdale have used BTEC qualifications to gain access to higher education or skilled employment.
In July, the Department confirmed plans to introduce a twin-track system of A levels and T levels (a new suite of technical qualifications), where most young people pursue one of these at the age of 16.
As a result, funding for most BTEC qualifications will be removed. Under current proposals, larger BTEC qualifications (equivalent in size to 2 or 3 A levels) will be scrapped if the government deems they “overlap” with A levels or T levels.
Mr Lloyd said: “Removing these opportunities would prevent social mobility and drive a coach and horses through the Government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda by further entrenching inequality.
“Ministers must listen to these very real concerns, and urgently reassess their plans for these qualifications.”
Mr Lloyd is one of 118 cross-party MPS and Peers that has written to the Secretary of State for Education, Nadhim Zahawi.
The letter urges the Secretary of State to “recalibrate” plans to move to a two-route model of A levels and T levels and asks for an assurance that “students will continue to have the choice to study a wide range of applied general qualifications in the future”.
In a separate move, Mr Lloyd has also demanded Saudi authorities lift all restrictions on women human rights defenders and ensure they are fully granted their basic rights.
He said: “In 2018, women who led the fight for women’s rights in Saudi Arabia were systematically rounded up, arrested, tortured and portrayed in official Saudi media as traitors and spies.
“Through international pressure, those women have now been conditionally released from prison but they remain subject to restrictions of their basic rights, including bans on working, travelling abroad, and severe censorship of their social media activity.
“This ought to be unacceptable to everybody. On International Women Human Rights Defenders Day, I’m demanding Saudi authorities immediately and unconditionally free all women targeted for their human rights activism, to drop all charges against them and to provide them appropriate compensation.
“No one should endure harsh persecution for their peaceful activism for basic human rights.”
Tony joins co-signatories in signing a petition organised by ALQST, a human rights organisation that documents and promotes human rights in Saudi Arabia, in expressing their solidarity and support for Saudi women human rights defenders.
The petition states that “all of the [women human rights defenders] arrested in 2018 have now been conditionally released from prison, most recently including Samar Badawi, Nassima al-sadah and Loujain al-hathloul in 2021”.
However, since their release they have remained subject to heavy restrictions and curtailment of their basic rights.
“This perpetuates their isolation from the rest of society following release from prison and deters others from socialising or engaging with the WHRDS or their families for fear that they too may become targets of state suspicion and persecution.”