The National Youth Agency has given a cautious welcome to the changes made to the new education bill, but before commenting fully it wishes to see the total set of proposals to be made later this month by the Government following its consultation on Youth Matters. In the meantime, The NYA has welcomed clause six of the education and inspections bill. This clause should give a basis for the establishment of more consistent youth services concerned in particular with the personal and social development of young people, and the opportunities provided to them by youth work. Notable features of the duty include the requirement for local education authorities to secure "sufficient educational leisure time activities and sufficient facilities for the improvement of young people's wellbeing".
The NYA welcomes the broad definitions adopted for education and wellbeing as set out in the five Every Child Matters outcomes. It welcomes also the embedding of the role of young people in shaping local youth services; the encouragement given to partnership planning and working; and the proposed statutory guidance to be issued on standards for local provision. The Agency regrets that, so far, the Government has made insufficient direct reference to the role and contribution of youth work to these goals and has not given full recognition to the needs of all young people in the 20- to 25-year-old age group.
The full text of the education and inspections bill is available at www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmbills/134/2006134.pdf.
