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"Learning to Succeed"
Mr. Boswell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what consultations he has had with local education authorities (a) in the course of the preparation of the paper "Learning to Succeed" (Cm 4392) and (b) after the paper's publication. [94739]
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Mr. Wicks:
Ministers and officials meet with the Local Government Association and individual local education authorities on a regular basis to discuss a wide range of issues including our proposals in "Learning to Succeed". We have also received written responses to the consultations associated with the White Paper from the Local Government Association and a large number of individual local education authorities.
Mr. Boswell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the role of the voluntary sector in the implementation of Learning to Succeed. [94760]
Mr. Wicks:
The voluntary sector has a number of important roles to play in implementing the proposals in 'Learning to Succeed'. These include helping to ensure that the education and training that the Learning and Skills Council provides is relevant to the needs of young people and adults and providing high quality opportunities to help young people and adults get and keep work. Voluntary organisations are particularly well placed to contribute their expertise in key areas such as tackling social exclusion and in the education and training of those with special or basic skill needs.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the average number of children by year group in primary and secondary schools within the Crosby constituency, in each year from 1992 to 1999. [94585]
Ms Estelle Morris:
Information on the number of pupils by year group is not collected centrally.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the expected average number of children by year group in primary and secondary schools within the Crosby constituency in each year from 1999 to 2001. [94586]
Ms Estelle Morris:
The information is not available in the form requested.
Mr. Evans:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many private finance initiatives are currently being promoted by Lancashire Education Authority. [94184]
Jacqui Smith:
Lancashire Education Authority is currently engaged in replacing Fleetwood High School through the Private Finance Initiative.
Dr. Gibson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) if he will list the cases where private finance initiative resources have been given to science laboratory development; [93706]
Mr. Wicks:
In the Schools sector, five Private Finance Initiative (PFI) projects have been signed, with many more in the pipeline, to provide new or replacement
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secondary schools. All of these schools will have modern science laboratories fully capable of delivering the national curriculum. The PFI credits given by the Government to support these projects do not include separately identifiable amounts for specific aspects of each development.
In the Higher Education sector two of the seven signed deals include modern facilities for teaching and research in the fields of medical, biological and clinical science. In the Further Education sector, the seven PFI deals signed to date do not include specific science laboratory elements.
Dr. Gibson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will publish the results of the examination of the design needs of scientific laboratories in secondary schools under Building Bulletin 80. [93715]
Jacqui Smith:
The Department has reviewed its guidance on science accommodation in secondary schools, and a revised building bulletin updating Building Bulletin 80, 'Science Accommodation in Secondary Schools: A Design Guide', will be published shortly.
Dr. Gibson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment with whom consultations were held in the revision of the experiments carried out in the National Curriculum for Science in Schools. [93709]
Jacqui Smith:
The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority consulted a number of science associations, prior to preparing advice to the Secretary of State on proposals for a revised science curriculum. A full list of those consulted is contained at Annex 2 of the QCA's Report "Developing the School Curriculum", which was published on QCA's website www.qca.org.uk following the Secretary of State's announcement on 9 September. In addition all local authorities, teachers, governors, parents and other interested parties were able to contribute to the public consultation on the revised National Curriculum which ran from May to July this year. On the basis of the QCA's advice we have strengthened the role of Scientific Enquiry within the Science curriculum by establishing it as a separate Attainment Target. Revised curriculum handbooks will be sent to schools in November and copies will be placed in the Library.
Dr. Gibson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the distribution list for the replacement document for Building Bulletin 80. [93714]
Jacqui Smith:
The Department will distribute copies of the revised Building Bulletin 80, 'Science Accommodation in Secondary Schools: A Design Guide', to the House of Commons and House of Lords Libraries and the British Library. The priced document will be available from the Stationery Office.
Mr. Hesford:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what support schools will be given in the forthcoming Maths Year 2000. [94538]
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Ms Estelle Morris:
This September we launched the National Numeracy Strategy in primary schools, underpinned by a comprehensive programme of training. Maths Year 2000 aims to support teachers as they implement the strategy by creating a positive, "can-do" culture towards mathematics throughout the community.
We are investing £105 million in the National Numeracy Strategy over two years. This includes up to £19.2 million available to provide maths resources in the classroom for 2000-2001. £6.75 million is being invested in the Maths Year which includes a total of £0.5 million specifically provided for local numeracy projects involving schools and their business partners. Many businesses will also be running their own schemes to support schools as their contribution towards the year.
Schools will be able to find a range of ideas for ways to get involved through regular newsletters, a free calendar with puzzles and stories about the history of maths and, from December, the Maths Year Website (www.mathsyear2000.org).
Miss McIntosh:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on his plans to introduce performance-related pay for teachers; and what recent representations he has received on this issue. [94159]
Ms Estelle Morris:
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State submitted the Department's written evidence to the School Teachers' Review Body (STRB) on 23 September, asking them to consider the Government's proposals for reform of teachers' pay, including a new upper pay spine for classroom teachers accessed via a performance threshold, and requesting the Review Body to make recommendations accordingly. A copy of this evidence is in the Library of the House. The formal consultation period on the Green Paper and its accompanying technical consultation document ended on 31 March. Detailed summaries of the responses to the consultation are also available in the Library of the House.
The Department has continued to discuss the Government's proposals in detail with representatives of the teacher unions and employers.
Mr. Mackinlay:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he plans to introduce legislation to outlaw the use of (a) the cane and (b) other forms of corporal punishment in independent schools; and if he will make a statement. [94579]
Jacqui Smith:
From this September, Section 131 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 outlawed corporal punishment for all pupils in maintained and non-maintained schools, and for children receiving nursery education.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list his Department's spending on official publications since May 1997. [93690]
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Mr. Wills:
Within the Department's Advertising and Publicity Budget the total spend on publications since May 1997 is £4.106 million.
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the titles of the in-house publications and newsletters which were produced for the staff of his Department, excluding non-departmental public bodies and agencies, in the last five years, specifying the dates on which each title was first produced, the frequency with which each title is produced and the current secrecy classification of each title. [93844]
Mr. Wills:
Since the Department was created in 1995, it has produced the following internal communications for its staff:
(2) how much private funding initiative resource has contributed to capital budget funding for science laboratory development in the last five years. [93707]
The News Centre--daily electronic information which announces key news about policy or work related issues published via the Department's intranet;
BulletinBoard--a weekly paper publication which briefly outlines what has been on the week's Newscentres;
BulletinBoard Link--issued weekly to staff on loan/secondment, career breaks, maternity leave and home workers, who do not have access to electronic information. It provides an outline of what has been on the Newscentre and details where to get more information;
A Message From . . .--gives important strategic information from members of the Board. It is produced as required and available on paper and electronically; and
Feedback--a staff magazine published six times a year.
None of them bear a security classification.
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