Education secretary Lucy Powell made her first appearance before the House of Commons education select committee today. Here are six things we learned… 16-19 devolution ‘no big bang’ Devolution of 16-to-19 education funding, announced by prime minister Andy Burnham over the summer, will be gradual rather than “one big bang” across the country, Powell said. She added that post-16 education already lacks a “universal offer” and that ministers are working on how to ensure there are clear lines of accountability across a “very patchwork and fragmented” system of local government. Powell was answering Caroline Voaden, Liberal Democrat MP for South Devon, who asked how the government will ensure devolving 16-to-19 education funding does not create a “postcode lottery” given that areas including her own constituency are “only at the very beginning of a journey” to becoming a mayoral strategic authority. The education secretary said the aim of the reform is to get “game changing results” by linking up local delivery, with employers and labour markets while ensuring that their performance is “underpinned” by national expectations, outcomes, qualifications and pathways. She added: “Every young person, no matter where they live, should have a guarantee of a college or post-16 place, and to do what they want to do. “So, this won’t happen in one big bang, this will be something that we work through. “Yes, there’ll be some trailblazing areas that are more ready to go that want to join this more up in a holistic way.” Further details on exactly how mayors will be handed control of 16-to-19 funding is expected to be included in the ‘Rewiring the State’ delivery plan, due to be published “before the end of the year”. Reform Ofsted’s ‘data-driven’ approach Changes to the new Ofsted framework could include reforming the “secure fit” requirement that is leading to “an entirely data driven approach” to inspections. In recent weeks, Ofsted has faced school union votes of no confidence in its boss Martyn Oliver over concerns that the new framework has failed to adequately reduce pressure on staff being inspected. Powell said ministers are in “ongoing conversations” with Ofsted about how to “get trust back in the system” following concerns that elements such as the secure fit model are leading to harsher grades for schools in areas with higher levels of deprivation or SEND students. Under the secure fit model, colleges and schools must meet each standard in an evaluation area to be awarded that grade. The education secretary said: “What has actually happened is that context can be a penalty, rather than what it should be, which is a professional judgement, understanding what a school is trying to do. “So I think the idea behind the framework originally was to create more consistency, and I think the balance between creating some consistency in judgments versus it being entirely data driven and not actually having the inspector judgment on it, that balance isn’t right at the moment. “That’s what we need to get right.” ‘Rocket boosting’ 14-16 in colleges Ministers want to put “rocket boosters” under partnerships that improve technical education opportunities for 14-to-16 year olds. This could include colleges giving nearby schools access to their construction facilities, as well as handing mayors, local leaders and businesses a role in shaping local technical education pathways. Powell said this should come alongside “a wider piece” of introducing new vocational GCSEs, which will be higher quality than current tech awards, and ensuring new and existing “practical” GCSEs such as computing and drama have “a lot more practical assessment”. The education secretary said: “We will work with schools on delivering these qualifications. “But a key part of it is also working with the mayoral authorities, where there is a mayoral authority to link up with local employers, to link up with FE colleges who are actually quite keen to to help you know use their facilities. “I also went to a school near Preston recently, where students there do a day a week in a college on these kind of courses as well. “Those partnerships have evolved and grown organically, and we want to put some rocket boosters under that.” A ‘few pointers’ from NAO delaying accounts The DfE’s annual accounts are at least three months late because the National Audit Office (NAO) gave officials “a few pointers” to work through. Powell said there are still “some ongoing discussions” between the department and the NAO’s audit team, but that the accounts’ publication date is “fairly imminent”. Responding to committee chair Helen Hayes’ second request for a reason on the cause of the delay, the education secretary said: “I don’t think there’s any cause for concern. As I say, I think there were just a few pointers there that needed to work through.” Powell added: “I will absolutely make sure that’s fed back and that that doesn’t happen in the future.” Quals should be marked by humans Students’ work should only be marked “by the human eye” because artificial intelligence can “exacerbate prejudice”, Powell said. As a result, the DfE will be designing new technical qualifications with “practical assessment in practical subjects”. Ofqual’s boss Ian Bauckham has previously said written coursework will face more scrutiny to prevent AI-fuelled subversion of assessment”. However, he has also said that while AI makes mistakes and reflects biases, it also has “enormous potential” to improve efficiency, cut costs, and increase accuracy in assessment. Powell told the committee: “Ofqual are really clear, as am I, that awarding of qualifications and marking really should be done by the human eye, because otherwise you can exacerbate prejudice and exacerbate sort of some issues and in awarding of those. “So, you know, alongside having more practical assessment and practical subjects, practical assessment in practical subjects. “We will be raising the game in terms of that teacher assessment piece to make sure that there’s real rigour in the system.” ‘Ongoing dialogue’ on college VAT The education secretary has “very strongly” made representations to the Treasury about uneven VAT rules that mean FE colleges pay more in tax than schools or academies, she told the committee. Hayes repeated the committee’s concerns that VAT rules causing colleges to pay millions more in tax than schools and academies is “an inequality” that the government should be working to change. But Powell said VAT and taxation “are matters for the Treasury”. She added: “I have ongoing dialogue – very regular dialogue – with the Treasury about a whole range of issues. “But rest assured I make my representations very strongly.” Colleges have long voiced concerns about the millions more they pay in VAT compared to schools and academies, which are exempt from the tax. But appeals by colleges and the committee have repeatedly been rebuffed by the Treasury.