The Education Committee is hosting an online forum for members of the public to evaluate evidence from the Department for Education (DfE). The Committee sought a short statement from the DfE on the nine topics listed below, in order to identify areas for scrutiny in early 2015.

In each case, the DfE was asked to provide a two-page note answering the questions ‘What’s the policy?’ and ‘What’s the evidence for this policy?’.

The Education Committee invites views on the strength of the evidence which can be submitted via the ‘Evidence check’ forum. The comments received will help the Committee evaluate the evidence received from the Department and will help with identifying where contrasting evidence exists.

The nine topics covered are:

• Phonics
• Teaching Assistants
• Professional Measurement Metrics
• National College of Teaching and Leadership
• Summer Born Children
• Universal Infant Free School Meals
• Impact of Raising the Participant Age
• Music Education
• School Starting Age

The Committee also asks for views on the Department’s use of evidence in its policy making and its mechanisms for analysing evidence, as a whole.

• Department’s use of evidence

Please send in your views using the online forum, by midday on Friday 12 December.

• Department for Education ‘Evidence check’ web forum      homepage

The Committee will use the comments it receives to select topics for one-off oral evidence sessions in early 2015. The Committee may wish to quote comments made. Comments will be pre-moderated.

FURTHER INFORMATION:

Committee Membership is as follows:

Mr Graham Stuart (Chair), Conservative, Beverley and Holderness

Neil Carmichael, Conservative, Stroud

Alex Cunningham, Labour, Stockton North

Bill Esterson, Labour, Sefton Central

Pat Glass, Labour, North West Durham

Ian Mearns, Labour, Gateshead

Caroline Nokes, Conservative, Romsey and Southampton North

Siobhain McDonagh, Labour, Mitcham and Morden

Mr Dominic Raab, Conservative, Esher and Walton

Mr David Ward, Liberal Democrat, Bradford East

Craig Whittaker, Conservative, Calder Valley

Specific Committee Information:  educom@parliament.uk / 020 7219 1333

Media Information: Hannah Pearce pearcehm@parliament.uk 020 7219 8430 / 07917 488162

Committee Website: www.parliament.uk/education-committee

Watch committees and parliamentary debates online:  www.parliamentlive.tv