Lord Young of Acton (Con)

My Lords, I too congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Morgan, on arranging this debate. I declare an interest as the author, eight years ago, of a Centre for Policy Studies paper on technical education. I acknowledge the work of my noble friend Lord Baker, who has done so much to set up vocational and technical schools—most of which have been a great success, but not all of which have been an unqualified success. Of the 58 UTCs that have opened since 2010, 14 have closed. Studio schools, which are also vocational and technical schools for 14 to 19 year-olds, have fared worse; 59 have opened since 2010, and at least 26 have closed. The problem is that some of these schools became dumping grounds for children that neighbouring comprehensives did not want because they were expected to do poorly in their GCSEs. How can we stop technical and vocational education being seen as inferior to a more academic pathway? The answer is to grant these schools the ability to select according not to ability but to aptitude for the occupations for which they are designed to prepare children. The most successful occupational school in the country that admits under-16s is the BRIT School, a performing arts school in Croydon which admits children according to their abilities in the performing arts. Both Tom Holland and Adele are among its most successful alumni. That model has been replicated by Birmingham Ormiston Academy, and a second BRIT School has been approved to open next year in Bradford, as the noble Baroness, Lady Hazarika, said. Overseas, the most successful technical and vocational schools also select for aptitude, from South Korea’s Meister schools, which place 93% of graduates directly into employment, to the selective vocational academies of New Jersey, which send pupils to Princeton, Yale and MIT. None of these systems treats technical education as a consolation prize for children who struggle with academic subjects. They treat aptitude for trade as no less real or worthy of cultivation than aptitude for science or maths. I recognise that any form of selection is controversial, but I am not proposing selection by ability, only by aptitude. Academies are already permitted to select up to 10% of their pupils for aptitude in particular specialisms, such as music. Finally, no primary legislation is required to bring about this change. The Secretary of State already has this power, used for Birmingham Ormiston Academy, to grant a derogation allowing an academy, including UTCs and studio schools, to select by aptitude where there is a demonstrable local need. All that is required is the will to use it more widely. If the Minister, when she returns to her place, would like to learn more, I will happily send her a copy of my paper.