Remit
Our inquiry is focusing on the provision of education in Service schools overseas and the performance of the Ministry of Defence’s Agency, Service Children’s Education, but it will also consider the issues facing children and young people when they return to education in the UK and the schooling, and assistance with schooling, which MoD provides in the UK.
We hope to obtain the views of those with direct experience of Service education: teachers, Service families and young people who are attending or have attended Service schools.
Written evidence
If you would like to send us written evidence, setting out views and highlighting particular issues encountered, or simply tell us about your personal experience, please e-mail us at defcom@parliament.uk.
The deadline for written evidence is Friday 12 May 2006 – but if you can let us have it earlier, it will help us to ask the right questions of the witnesses.
Visits
We visited Service Schools in Germany (Bishopspark School, Paderborn and King’s School, Gütersloh) on Thursday 23 March.
Oral evidence
We are planning two sessions of oral evidence (that is, asking questions of invited witnesses):
Monday 24 April 2006 – we plan to take oral evidence in Colchester from Service families, teachers and young people [tbc.].
Tuesday 2 May 2006 – we plan to take oral evidence at Westminster from Don Touhig MP, the Minister responsible for the education of Service Children, and from Ministry of Defence and Service Children’s Education officials.
The public is welcome to attend these meetings.
Report
The Committee will publish a report of its findings before the Summer holiday. It will be then for the Ministry of Defence to respond.