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EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT
Learning Direct
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many calls each month to Learning Direct are provided for in the contract with his Department. [66354]
Mr. Mudie: In its first year of operation, the DfEE set Learning Direct a target of 250,000 calls. Specific monthly targets were not set.
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what evidence he has of successful referrals by the Learning Direct helpline overall and broken down by (a) age, (b) sex, (c) employment status, (d) region and (e) qualifications. [66358]
Mr. Mudie: It is too early to measure the success of referrals by the Learning Direct helpline. Information on follow up action of callers will be made available as part of the evaluation process of the helpline later in the year.
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what are the most common areas of inquiry made to the Learning Direct helpline. [66357]
Mr. Mudie: The most common areas of inquiry made to the Learning Direct helpline are requests for information and advice on Further Education (33 per cent. of calls), information technology and computers (18 per cent.) professional development (17 per cent.) and Higher Education (15 per cent.). Inquiries to the helpline are, however, dependent to some extent on the nature of marketing of Learning Direct and associated broadcaster campaigns.
Mr. Chaytor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many people have telephoned the Learning Direct helpline during each month of its operation. [66353]
20 Jan 1999 : Column: 500
Mr. Mudie:
There were 406,069 successful callers to the Learning Direct helpline during the period from its official launch on 25 February to the end of December 1998. A monthly breakdown is as follows:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| February | 5,241 |
| March | 15,654 |
| April | 11,970 |
| May | 165,816 |
| June | 78,272 |
| July | 23,400 |
| August | 28,987 |
| September | 26,710 |
| October | 21,496 |
| November | 15,314 |
| December | 13,209 |
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate he has made of the percentage of callers to the Learning Direct helpline who succeed in reaching an operator (a) on average and (b) at the busiest times. [66263]
Mr. Mudie: Currently, 86 per cent. of callers to Learning Direct are successful in reaching an operator. The figures for callers at the busiest times are not available.
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what percentage of callers to the Learning Direct helpline get through at the first attempt (a) on average and (b) at the busiest times. [66355]
Mr. Mudie: A recent independent evaluation of Learning Direct showed that, on average, 77 per cent. of those using Learning Direct were connected at the first attempt. The figures for callers at the busiest times are not available.
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will publish a breakdown of callers to the Learning Direct helpline by (a) age, (b) sex, (c) employment status and (d) highest qualification gained. [66356]
Mr. Mudie: Learning Direct offers a confidential service to callers. Therefore, a breakdown of all callers is not available. Based on a 10 per cent. random sample, the breakdown of callers to Learning Direct is as follows:
20 Jan 1999 : Column: 501
Sure Start Strategy
Ann Keen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has for implementing the Sure Start strategy. [67089]
Ms Jowell: Sure Start is a vital element in the Government's work to increase opportunity and create equal chances for young children and their families in disadvantaged areas. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment and I are taking forward the Government's £452 million strategy to establish at least 250 local Sure Start programmes in England over the next three years.
We are announcing today the first 60 trailblazer districts for Sure Start. In identifying them we have taken into account evidence of significant local deprivation and existing good practice; and a wish to see Sure Start principles taking root quickly in all regions, in different types of area and in places where they can complement other Government initiatives to regenerate communities and tackle social exclusion.
The trailblazer districts will play a major role in making Sure Start a reality. Each will identify one catchment area appropriate for a local Sure Start programme, and bring together an inclusive partnership responsible for making a formal application for Sure Start funding to improve and extend services in that area. Expressions of interest from the 60 districts are invited by 9 February and full applications by 19 March. Applications will not compete against each other. We are providing a team of expert advisers to help local partners prepare them, and they will be approved if they meet various criteria, including the inclusion of all the key partners at local level and effective demonstration of the key principles underpinning Sure Start.
We expect the first trailblazers to be up and running later in the year. They will help develop Sure Start, its implementation and evaluation, and act as mentors for subsequent programmes. More Sure Start districts will be announced in due course.
Further information and guidance on Sure Start is being published today to support trailblazers in their work. Copies will be placed in the Library.
20 Jan 1999 : Column: 502
20 Jan 1999 : Column: 503
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment his Department has made of the performance of the Edison Project in running schools in the United States of America; what discussions he has held on its possible use to run schools in (a) education action zones and (b) other areas where those schools are deemed to have failed; what is his policy towards the use of profit-making organisations to run state schools; and if he will make a statement. [65917]
Ms Estelle Morris:
The Department has not carried out any assessment of the activities of the Edison Project in the United States of America, although we have seen reports of some published evaluations. Officials have talked to representatives of the Project about the scope for private sector involvement in EAZs and in turning round failing schools. In all cases it has been made clear that as a matter of law the responsibility for running maintained schools rests with the governing body, which is responsible for spending the school budget in the best interests of pupils.
The 60 trailblazer districts are:
Barrow-in Furness
Birmingham
Blackburn with Darwen
Blackpool
Bradford
Brent
Brighton and Hove
Bristol
Camden
Copeland
Corby
Derby
Doncaster
Enfield
Fenland
Great Yarmouth
Greenwich
Hackney
Halton
Haringey
Hastings
Kingston-upon-Hull
Kirklees
Knowsley
Lambeth
Leeds
Leicester
Liverpool
Luton
Manchester
Mansfield
Middlesbrough
Newcastle
Newham
North East Lincolnshire
North Tyneside
Norwich
Nottingham
Oldham
Oxford
Penwith
Plymouth
Redcar and Cleveland
Rotherham
Salford
Sandwell
Sedgemoor
Sheffield
Southampton
Southwark
St. Helens
Stoke-on-Trent
Sunderland
Telford and Wrekin
Thanet
Thurrock
Tower Hamlets
Waltham Forest
Wealden
Wolverhampton.
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