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Childcare Bill

I have great sympathy for the concerns expressed in this debate about the use of the word ““taught””. We considered the same point when we debated the Children Bill on achieving outcomes. It also brings back the issue of the child development aspect of the Postgraduate Certificate in Education. If teachers going into the early years do not have any knowledge of child development and are without guidance, that is most unhelpful. While I am speaking to the noble Lord, Lord Adonis, who has responsibility for schools, I would be grateful if he would give some thought to why the child development aspect of the PGCE has been stopped. Given his commitment to the welfare of looked-after children and their incorporation and progress in school, it is important that teachers have an understanding of why such children behave as they do, especially if they come from difficult and unstable backgrounds. It may be that there is a later module in the continuing teacher professional development scheme.