Question
On the conversation about exclusions, may I make the case for young carers not to be excluded from the freedom to learn because of the distraction of what might be going on at home? That is why I have been calling—in conjunction with MYTIME Young Carers, a wonderful local charity—for a young carers champion in every school. I have written to the Minister to ask for a meeting to discuss that. Will he now agree to meet me to see how we can protect young carers not just in having a single point of contact, but in everything we do for them in our schools?
Answer
I apologise for the lack of response to the hon. Lady. As I am not the Minister responsible for young carers, I would be the wrong person to speak to, but I am sure my colleague would be happy to meet her. As a former teacher, I recognise and agree wholly with what she said about the need for children to be freed up, especially if they have that burden and responsibility in their home life. Most of us in this House are, I think, of an age where we did go to school without smartphones in our pockets. There were ways of speaking to the head of year, going to the school reception and contacting home, and there is no reason why that cannot work in the future.
Verdict: RED (20/100)
The reply only partly answers the question. The speaker is not the responsible minister, and the response says a colleague would be happy to meet, with no date or further detail. It does not set out how young carers would be protected in schools beyond a single point of contact, offering only general comments about teaching experience. Because the answer is largely hedged and the asker would likely need to follow up for specifics, the verdict is low.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will the Minister agree to meet the Member to discuss how young carers can be protected in schools, beyond having a single point of contact. | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply answers the meeting request only by referral: the speaker is not the responsible minister and says a colleague would be happy to meet, which is a soft commitment with no date or detail. The substantive part of the item, how young carers can be protected in schools beyond a single point of contact, is only gestured at through the speaker's teaching experience and the point that schools can be contacted without smartphones, with no actual protective measures described. |