Yesterday Mark Fletcher hosted the Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills, Gillian Keegan, on a virtual tour of Chesterfield College to see how they had been adapting to the new challenges of Covid-19.
Colleges and schools in Bolsover and across the country are continuing to teach remotely where possible as current Covid-19 levels mean it is unsafe to continue with face-to-face teaching. Mark has welcomed the Government’s provision of laptops and other measures taken to ensure children have as little disruption as possible to their education during this period. This has included working with Minister Keegan, and Mark was delighted that the Minister joined him for the virtual tour of Chesterfield College.
Mark said
“it was useful as always to get feedback from the College and I’m incredibly pleased that the College got the opportunity to raise some of their questions and concerns directly with the Minister. We discussed how the college is meeting the needs of local students, as well as some of the opportunities that the further education sector is facing both in the short and the long term. The college has done some fantastic work which has allowed it to continue providing quality education to students there. There have been some logistical challenges, but they have done a brilliant job of rising to the occasion and finding new ways to work.”
“We had the opportunity to speak to two learners at the College, Georgie and Jack who are studying Beauty Therapy and Electrical Installation respectively. Having the opportunity to speak to students, as well as staff is just as crucial and I was pleased that Minister Keegan had the chance to speak to them also. Chesterfield College is a terrific centre that caters for many learners across the Bolsover constituency and they have done a brilliant job in supporting their pupils through the course of the pandemic. Thank you to Minister Keegan for taking the time to come and visit, as well as the Staff at Chesterfield College who took the time to come and meet us, as well as Jack and Georgie.”
Mark has repeatedly made education a priority of his in his work as MP for Bolsover, campaigning in Parliament for a new post-16 education setting in the constituency to increase opportunities for young people in the area. Mark has also spoken repeatedly in the House of Commons on the effect the pandemic is having on children and young people, with the isolation affecting their mental health as well as their education. Mark will continue to argue for schools to be among the first sectors of society to reopen as soon as it is safe to do so.
