Overview

The Education (Information Sharing) Bill aims to clarify and expand the rules around sharing information about students and former students in England and Wales. The bill allows for more data sharing between educational institutions, government bodies, and other designated organizations to improve education and training, and to monitor student outcomes.

Description

This bill makes changes to existing education legislation to allow for greater information sharing. Key aspects include:

Student Information:

The bill introduces a new section (253A) to the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009, permitting the sharing of student information (like qualifications obtained) with various bodies in prescribed circumstances, including the Secretary of State, designated organizations ("information collators"), and other specified individuals or groups. This information cannot be published in a way that identifies the individual, except in instances where other laws already allow for this.

Destination Information:

The bill adds section 49B to the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 to enable the sharing of "destination information." This includes information on the activities of former students after leaving their institution with the aim of providing insights into the effectiveness of educational institutions. Similar anonymity protections apply to prevent the identification of individuals.

Evaluating Effectiveness:

The bill amends Part 3 of the Education and Skills Act 2008, broadening the scope of information that can be used for evaluating the effectiveness of education and training programs. It removes restrictions on the use of information relating to students aged 19 and older, and removes some redundancy in the current legislation.

Government Spending

The bill itself does not directly specify changes to government spending. The anticipated impact is likely indirect, potentially leading to improved efficiency in education programs through better data analysis and evidence-based decision-making. No specific figures are provided within the bill text.

Groups Affected

Groups potentially affected by the bill include:

• Students and former students: Their information will be shared more widely, though anonymization measures aim to protect privacy.
• Educational institutions: They will have to comply with new regulations regarding data sharing.
• Government bodies (e.g., Department for Education, Welsh Ministers): They will have access to more student data for analysis and policymaking.
• Other designated organizations ("information collators"): They will be involved in the collation and verification of student information.

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