Students: Community Relations
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 16 June 2026 to Question 7455 on Students: Community Relations, on what date her Department officially re-engaged with the National Union of Students.
Answered by Department for Education
The department formally re-engaged with the National Union of Students (NUS) on 18 November 2024. This followed progress by the NUS in addressing concerns about antisemitism, including its acceptance and implementation of the recommendations of the independent inquiry led by Rebecca Tuck KC.
Under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015, universities must have due regard to preventing people from being drawn into terrorism.
The (NUS) has publicly opposed the Prevent programme and the department is aware of this position. However, the government is clear that higher education providers remain subject to their statutory Prevent duty.
The Cohesion Framework, being developed by the department, the University of Salford and the NUS, aims to promote belonging, empathy and social cohesion on and beyond campus. It will establish principles to support constructive student engagement. A first draft of the framework will be produced by the end of the year, working with students across the country.
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