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Grammar Schools
Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what percentage of children in (a) England and (b) Northern Ireland attend grammar schools. [64526]
Ms Estelle Morris: In January 1998, 4.5 per cent. of all pupils aged 11 and over in maintained schools in England attended grammar schools.
Information for Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
Mr. Norman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate he has made of the cost implications of the restructuring of Kent's schooling system which would be required if grammar schools were to be abolished; and if he will place the breakdown of that estimate in the Library. [64497]
Ms Estelle Morris:
None. It is for parents in Kent to decide whether or not they wish to retain selection by reference to high academic ability. If they voted to do so,
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the law would require only the admission authorities of those schools to change their admission arrangements. Any other changes would be a matter for decision at local level.
Mr. Gareth R. Thomas:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many places have been made available for specialist PE teachers on initial teacher training courses in each of the last five years. [64715]
Ms Estelle Morris:
The following table shows the target intake to physical education (PE) initial teacher training for the years 1994-95 to 1998-99.
| Year | Target intake |
|---|---|
| 1994-95 | 1,255 |
| 1995-96 | 1,250 |
| 1996-97 | 1,300 |
| 1997-98 | 1,550 |
| 1998-99 | 1,450 |
Source:
DfEE
Counter-drugs Strategy
Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps he has taken to ensure that those training to be teachers are fully equipped to present in schools the Government's counter-drugs strategy. [64517]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The Curriculum for teacher training ensures that all teachers must be able to address pupils' personal, moral and social development. This will provide a focus for the full range of personal, social and health education work, including drug education. As certain aspects of drug education are a statutory requirement of National Curriculum science, all primary school teachers and secondary school science teachers are trained in drug education.
We have made increased funding of £7 million available this year through the Department's Standards Fund programme for drug education and prevention work. Eligible expenditure includes direct and associated costs of training teachers in schools. Further support of £7.5 million is to be made available through the Standards Fund for each of the next three years, following the Comprehensive Spending Review.
The DfEE has also recently issued new drug education guidance for teachers and youth workers, on the effective delivery of drug education in schools and youth service settings, and on dealing with drug-related incidents. The guidance encourages schools to take note of best practice and assist them in developing and implementing their own drug education programmes and policies.
Mr. Keetch:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list by region and
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up to the latest date for which the figures are available the numbers of young people leaving the New Deal for unsubsidised employment who have subsequently re-entered the Gateway, indicating the average time such people have spent in employment before returning to the Gateway. [63272]
Mr. Andrew Smith
[holding answer 14 December 1998]: This information is not currently available as individuals who return to New Deal within 13 weeks resume where they left off. Information on the length and time spent on unsubsidised jobs will be available at a later stage from the longer-term evaluation of New Deal. Destination information published in the monthly statistical press notice is subsequently revised to reflect those returning to the New Deal Gateway before 13 weeks of employment.
Mr. Willetts:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many communications were sent by his Department to (a) primary schools, (b) secondary schools and (c) local education authorities in each month of 1998 for which details are available; and if he will list them specifying the subjects they covered. [63961]
Mr. Charles Clarke
[holding answer 16 December 1998]: The Department sent 70 communications to primary schools and 73 communications to secondary schools in 1998. Most items were for information only. Since June 1998, schools have received material in regular batches which clearly indicate the priority of items. From 1 December, batches contain only: guidance on legal changes, curriculum development material on key strategies such as literacy and numeracy, data collection and 2-page summaries of documents on key policy issues.
All communications to schools are also copied to the local education authority--in some cases there is action in these for both school and local education authority. In addition, local education authorities received 179 communications that were not sent also to schools. A list has been placed in the Library.
Mr. Gorrie:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the schemes for competitive bidding for central Government funding by local authorities and voluntary organisations run by his Department in (a) 1998; (b) 1997 and (c) 1996, and the amounts of money involved and the number of successful and unsuccessful bids in each scheme in each year. [63560]
Mr. McLeish
[holding answer 15 December 1998]: The information is contained in the table.
(17) Over 3 years
(18) Funding for 1997 bids staged over 2 years
(19) Figures not yet available
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