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ICT
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list those firms approved as registered providers of ICT to schools under the National Grid for Learning. [97771]
Mr. Wills: [holding reply 8 November 1999]: There is no register of firms qualified to provide ICT to schools under the National Grid for Learning. There is a list of NGfL Certified Managed Service Providers who have been awarded Framework Contracts by the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTa) for the supply of managed information system services to a wide range of educational bodies. These are:
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Akhter Computers Ltd.
Bull Information Systems Ltd.
Centerprise International Ltd.
Clifton Reed Consultants Ltd.
Comtec Business Systems Ltd.
EIS Kent
Elonex Plc.
Hugh Symons Group Plc.
IBM United Kingdom Ltd.
Research Machines Plc.
Apple Xemplar Education Ltd.
Mrs. May:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the criteria used to determine which firms qualify to be registered providers of ICT in schools under the National Grid for Learning. [97772]
Mr. Wills [holding answer 8 November 1999]: There is no register of firms qualified to provide ICT to schools under the National Grid for Learning. There is a list of NGfL Certified Managed Service Providers who have been awarded Framework Contracts by the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTa) for the supply of managed information system services to a wide range of educational bodies.
The process of awarding these contracts was as follows:
Mr. Clappison:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much funding has been available through the Standards Fund for the provision of advanced skills teachers in each year since its inception. [97857]
Ms Estelle Morris:
Funding available through the Standards Fund for the provision of Advanced Skills Teachers was £1.3 million in 1998-99, the first year of the new grade, and £11 million in 1999-2000. These figures include both Local Education Authority and DfEE contributions.
Mr. Clappison:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many advanced skills teachers are paid (a) more than £36,000, (b) more than £38,000 and (c) £40,000 per annum. [97846]
Ms Estelle Morris:
Salaries for Advanced Skills Teachers are determined by the relevant body in accordance with the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document 1999. Statistical information about the salaries of Advanced Skills Teachers is not held centrally.
Mr. Crausby:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the current proportion
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of 11-year-olds achieving a reading age appropriate to their age (a) in the last year for which figures are available and (b) two years ago in (i) England, (ii) the North West Region and (iii) Bolton. [97909]
Ms Estelle Morris:
The Department does not currently collect data on pupils' reading age.
The Department collects Key Stage 2 National Curriculum test results (for pupils aged 11 years old) in English, including the results of a reading test. The expected level of attainment of 11-year-olds at the end of Key Stage 2 is level 4.
The proportion of pupils achieving level 4 or above in the Key Stage 2 English reading tests was:
Mr. Willis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the number of school inspections carried out and the average cost of school inspections in (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools for each of the last five years. [97095]
Ms Estelle Morris
[holding answer 8 November 1999]: This is a matter for Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools. I have asked him to write to the hon. Member and to place a copy of his letter in the Library.
Mr. Willis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the rights to protection against unfair dismissal enjoyed by head teachers and the legislation in which those rights are enshrined. [97093]
Ms Estelle Morris
[holding answer 8 November 1999]: Head teachers who have completed one year's service with their employer enjoy the same rights to protection against unfair dismissal as employees with a similar length of service in the vast majority of occupations. These rights are enshrined in the Employment Rights Act 1996. In addition head teachers, along with other school staff, enjoy a further statutory protection under the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 and the Education (School Government) (England) Regulations 1999. These provide for the governing body of a maintained school to make arrangements for giving any person whom they propose to dismiss an opportunity of making representations to a committee of governors taking the decision, and to afford an opportunity of appealing against a dismissal decision to a separate committee of governors.
Mr. Willis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of international examples of best practice with regard to teachers' employment rights; and what examples exist of teachers being subject to dismissal by bodies or individuals other than their employers. [97094]
Ms Estelle Morris
[holding answer 8 November 1999]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has made no separate assessment of international best practice with regard to teachers' employment rights. Teachers are
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subject to the same framework of employment rights as employees generally, and it would not be sensible to assess teachers' rights in isolation.
Teachers are community, community special and voluntary controlled schools are subject to dismissal by their local education authority on the recommendation of the school's governing body. However, governing bodies are accountable to Employment Tribunals for their decisions by virtue of the Education (Modification of Enactments Relating to Employment) Order 1999.
Mr. Willis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list by local education authority (a) the number of admission appeals held to date under the current admissions regulations and (b) the current number of surplus school places; and if he will make a statement on the continuing role of local education authorities in setting school admissions policies for their areas. [97096]
Ms Estelle Morris
[holding answer 8 November 1999]: The current system for dealing with admission appeals began on 1 September, when we also published statutory guidance in the new Code of Practice on School Admission Appeals. The first set of figures for appeals under this system, for the year ending August 2000, will be available in July 2001. The latest available statistics on admission appeals for 1997-98 by Local Education Authority can be found in Statistical First Release 19/1999, Admission Appeals for Maintained Primary and Secondary Schools by Local Education Authority area in England 1997-98, a copy of which is in the Library. Overall, 53,370 admission appeals were heard during the 1997-98 academic year, with 20,316 decided in favour of parents.
Surplus places figures are collected annually providing a summary of the level of surplus as at January of that year. For the position as at January 1998 I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Rochdale (Lorna Fitzsimons) on the 4 February 1999, Official Report, columns 709-14. New figures as at January 1999 will be published shortly and copies will be placed in the Library.
Under the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, the Local Education Authority is the admission authority for community and voluntary controlled schools. Foundation and voluntary aided schools are responsible for their own admissions. The Act ensures that admissions authorities consult with each other within the relevant area. Where there are disputes, these are a matter for the Schools Adjudicator rather than the Local Education Authority. The Local Education Authority is required to provide parents with a booklet setting out the details of all the admissions policies of schools in their area in order to help parents choose their preferred school.
Headteachers and Local Education Authorities are encouraged to work together in local admissions forums to discuss admission arrangements and develop a common timetable to assist parents. Many Local Education Authorities have already established Admissions Forums, and many more have plans to do so.
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Advertising
In accordance with the United Kingdom Public Services Contracts Regulations a Tender Notice was placed in the Official Journal of the European Communities.
Invitation to Tender
The criteria used to select firms to be invited to tender from amongst those submitting a Request to Participate are Economic and Financial Standing and Technical Ability.
Tendering
Suppliers submit tenders in response to a statement of requirements which includes minimum technical and service specifications.
Testing of Sample Services
Suppliers whose tenders appear to meet the minimum requirements are invited to submit Sample Services for testing.
Supplier Selection
The criteria for selection for award of a framework contract are the most Economically Advantageous Tenders in terms of Price, Quality, Aesthetics and Functionality, Technical Merit, Technical Back-up, After-sales Service, Running Costs and Delivery.
BECTa is running a competition with a view to awarding further contacts on the basis of broadly the same criteria.
in 1999: 81 per cent. for England, 81 per cent. for the North West Region and 81 per cent. for Bolton;
in 1997: 67 per cent. for England, 66 per cent. for the North West Region and 67 per cent. for Bolton.
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