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Class Sizes
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the way in which pupil:teacher ratios and class sizes are currently calculated by his Department. [1538]
Mr. Byers: The pupil:teacher ratios (PTRs) within schools are calculated by dividing the total number of pupils on school registers (counting each part-time pupil as 0.5) by the total number of qualified teachers (adjusted to reflect the part-time working of some teachers).
Class sizes are calculated by dividing the numbers of pupils being taught together in classes at a particular point in the school timetable by the number of teachers, qualified or unqualified, deployed in such classes. Average class sizes are normally calculated for those classes involving only one teacher.
Both measures are derived from information collected from the annual count of pupils and teachers in schools in January each year.
Ms Keeble:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many places, at which schools and at what cost were provided under the assisted places scheme in Northamptonshire in (a) 1995-96 and (b) 1996-97. [1808]
Mr. Byers:
The number of assisted places taken up and the cost of those places for each participating school in Northamptonshire in academic years 1995-96 and 1996-97 are given in the following table:
| School name | Academic year | |
|---|---|---|
| 1995-96 | 1996-97 | |
| Laxton (Oundle) School | ||
| Number of assisted pupils | 8 | 8 |
| Cost of places £000s | 20 | 20 |
| Northampton High School for Girls | ||
| Number of assisted pupils | 168 | 174 |
| Cost of places £000s | 564 | 628 |
| Wellingborough School | ||
| Number of assisted pupils | 65 | 71 |
| Cost of places £000s | 277 | 301 |
Liz Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many places, at what schools and at what cost were provided under the assisted places scheme in Derbyshire in 1995-96 and 1996-97. [1534]
Mr. Byers: The number of assisted places taken up and the cost of those places for each participating school in Derbyshire in academic years 1995-96 and 1996-97 are given in the following table:
4 Jun 1997 : Column: 190
Disability
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make it his policy to adopt a social model of disability in framing all future and amending previous relevant legislation and guidance; and if he will make a statement. [1682]
Mr. Alan Howarth: Our manifesto commits us to establishing "comprehensive, enforceable civil rights for disabled people against discrimination in society or at work, developed in partnership with all interested parties." We shall be consulting widely and developing our proposals in partnership with disability organisations, employers, employers organisations, trade unions and others. An essential issue will be the definition of disability. It is not appropriate for me to pre-empt the outcome of that consultation.
Nursery Places (Dorset)
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to ensure the provision of nursery places for children in Dorset who would have been eligible for nursery vouchers in the September term 1997. [1777]
Mr. Byers: All Local Education Authorities in England have been invited to submit an interim Early Years Development Plan to secure places for all eligible four year olds in their area for the period until April 1998. LEAs will be expected to consult and co-operate with the private and voluntary sectors in these arrangements.
Where interim Early Years Development Plans are approved, recognised places in all sectors filled by eligible four year olds will be funded by grant provided by the Secretary of State. Where LEAs are unable to bring forward an acceptable interim plan, recognised places chosen by parents in the private and voluntary sectors will be funded by grant from the Secretary of State by reference to certificates of eligibility issued to those parents.
Teaching Redundancies
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many teaching redundancies are expected in each local education authority at the end of the present academic year; how many there were in each local education authority in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [1370]
Mr. Byers:
This information is not collected centrally.
4 Jun 1997 : Column: 191
Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many newly qualified teachers failed to gain employment on leaving college in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [1371]
Ms Estelle Morris:
The following table shows the number of students who successfully completed initial teacher training and their employment status at 31 March in the year after completion, for the most recent years available.
| Calendar year of completion | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | |
| Total completers in | |||||
| England and Wales | 15,830 | 17,300 | 20,700 | 23,340 | 25,440 |
| In service(5) at 31 March of year following completion in England and Wales: | |||||
| Maintained schools | 12,080 | 13,240 | 14,550 | 16,240 | 17,290 |
| Other service(6) | 520 | 460 | 750 | 880 | 980 |
| Never in service(3) in England and Wales | 3,160 | 3,520 | 5,320 | 6,150 | 7,110 |
Source:
DfEE, Database of Teacher Records.
Notes:
(3) The position at 31 March in the year after completion comes from service records collected for the Teachers' Superannuation Scheme (TSS). Qualified students who obtain a teaching appointment in an institution that is not covered by the TSS are shown as "never in service". For example, those who take up appointments in the "old" university sector, in the independent sector without TSS membership, or outside England and Wales.
(4) A considerable number of newly qualified teachers take a year or more before starting teaching. Data from teachers qualifying in 1993 indicate that around 8 per cent. were not in service in March 1994, but were in service one year later.
(5) Including less than 100 teachers who entered service following completion of ITT who had already left by 31 March of the year following completion.
(6) Any other sector or institutions with TSS membership, eg some independent schools, further education.
Office for Standards in Education Reports
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to make available hard copies of Ofsted reports to (a) hon. Members and (b) members of the public. [2139]
Mr. Byers: At present each inspected school is responsible for making its Ofsted inspection report available to parents and others. Each report is freely accessible on the internet. Hon. Members can obtain hard copies through the Library.
Primary Class Sizes
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list for each local education authority in England and Wales how many classes for five to seven-year-olds had more than 30 children as at Easter 1997. [2219]
Mr. Byers:
Information on class sizes for local education authorities in England is not available in the form requested.
4 Jun 1997 : Column: 192
Information on class sizes for local education authorities in Wales is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.
Open Government
9. Ms Abbott: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps he is taking to increase openness in government. [527]
Dr. David Clark: In our manifesto, the Government were clear in their commitment to the regeneration of our democratic process. Central to that is the White Paper on New Government I announced yesterday.
This will set out how we will deliver accountable, accessible, responsive and efficient Government.
These proposals alongside our Freedom of Information Act will bring an agenda of openness to our system of Government at all levels.
14. Mr. Fabricant:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans he has to introduce a freedom of information Bill; and if he will make a statement. [533]
Dr. Clark:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave earlier to my hon. Friend, the Member for Clwyd, South (Mr. Jones).
15. Mrs. Clwyd:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he expects to publish his proposals relating to freedom of information. [535]
17. Mr. Nicholas Winterton:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps he is taking to promote open government. [538]
19. Mrs. Ann Winterton:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on his proposals in respect of open government. [540]
20. Mr. Baldry:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what initiatives he is taking to promote open government. [541]
Dr. Clark:
I refer hon. Members to the answer I gave earlier to the hon. Member for Delyn (Mr. Hanson).
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