Question
I thank the Minister for his statement and the way that he has addressed other issues around edtech, which are also very important. Could he say more about the work that will be taken forward with parents in the next few months, so that there can be further discussion about this important issue to help parents understand how the Government are taking policy forward?
Answer
Absolutely. I have not had a chance to share with the House that we will be issuing guidance for parents of older children at the start of next year on healthy screentime use, which is linked to the action we are taking for education settings as well as the wider social media ban that will come into effect next year. It will build on guidance that is already in place for very young children, where there has been concern about excessive screen use for those in early years settings.
Verdict: AMBER (50/100)
The question asked about government policy on educational technology (edtech). The reply does not address edtech directly. Instead, it commits to dated guidance for parents of older children on healthy screentime use, due at the start of next year, and links this to action for education settings. That is a concrete commitment, but it covers screentime in general rather than the edtech policy the question asked about, so the question is only partly answered and the asker may need to follow up.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| What work the Government plans to take forward with parents over the next few months on edtech policy, so that further discussion can take place. | Addressed | Direct | The reply commits to dated, parent-facing work, namely guidance for parents of older children on healthy screentime use at the start of next year, which builds on existing early-years guidance and is linked to action for education settings. The item concerns edtech policy and the reply substitutes the broader screentime topic, so the match is not exact, but the screentime guidance is a concrete parent-directed mechanism that plausibly covers the edtech-related engagement asked about. The opening "Absolutely" is filler and carries no substance. |