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Teacher Training
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many teacher training course vacancies there are for (a) infant, (b) junior and (c) secondary school courses in each institution offering such courses. [134903]
Ms Estelle Morris: Data on recruitment to initial teacher training courses starting in 2000-01 for each institution in England are not yet available.
Graduates (Unemployment Benefit)
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what percentage of graduates were claiming unemployment benefit a year after completing their university courses in each of the past five years in England. [134906]
Mr. Wicks: The information is not held centrally. The latest available data on the unemployment rates of newly qualified graduates, which show the position six months after graduation, are given in the table.
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| Year of graduation | Total graduates with known destination | of which, those who were unemployed(7) NumberPercentage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994-95 | 136,455 | 12,514 | 9.2 |
| 1995-96 | 145,930 | 11,784 | 8.1 |
| 1996-97 | 146,486 | 10,137 | 6.9 |
| 1997-98 | 147,888 | 8,570 | 5.8 |
| 1998-99 | 152,404 | 8,426 | 5.5 |
(7) The data do not indicate whether these graduates were claiming unemployment benefit or not.
Disabled Students (University Applications)
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what initiatives are being pursued by his Department to encourage disabled people to apply for university courses. [134908]
Mr. Wicks: The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) is committed to helping institutions to improve and integrate provision for students with disabilities in higher education. The council aims to increase the number of students participating in HE, to improve provision for them, to facilitate the dissemination of good practice and to increase institutional collaboration to ensure that resources are used effectively.
Disabled Students Allowances (DSAs), which help remove barriers to participation, are non-repayable grants available to students in higher education to cover the
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additional course-related costs they incur because of their disability. Since 1998 the means test for DSAs has been abolished and the maximum amount available for non-medical helpers has more that doubled to £10,505. This year, we have extended eligibility for DSAs to part-time and postgraduate students.
GCSEs
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what percentage of examinees failed the GCSE in each subject in the past three academic years. [134934]
Ms Estelle Morris: The percentages of examinees that failed to achieve a GCSE pass grade (A*-G) in the past three academic years, analysed by subject are:
| 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biological sciences | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.7 |
| Chemistry | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Physics | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Single science | 8.0 | 7.7 | 7.8 |
| Double science | 2.4 | 1.8 | 1.9 |
| Other science | 6.1 | 5.0 | 5.2 |
| Mathematics | 5.0 | 3.8 | 3.4 |
| Computer studies | 3.7 | 4.1 | 3.9 |
| Design and Technology | 4.1 | 3.6 | 3.6 |
| Information systems | 3.6 | 2.7 | 3.0 |
| Home economics | 5.6 | 4.7 | 5.4 |
| Business studies | 4.0 | 4.2 | 4.6 |
| Geography | 2.7 | 2.9 | 2.7 |
| History | 3.5 | 3.1 | 2.9 |
| Economics | 4.2 | 3.8 | 3.5 |
| Humanities | 4.6 | 4.4 | 4.2 |
| Social sciences | 5.4 | 5.1 | 5.0 |
| Physical education | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.9 |
| Vocational studies | 5.8 | 5.6 | 5.7 |
| Art and Design | 2.2 | 2.5 | 2.2 |
| English | 1.0 | 0.9 | 1.1 |
| English literature | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.7 |
| Drama | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.5 |
| Communication studies | 2.2 | 2.8 | 2.7 |
| French | 1.5 | 1.3 | 1.7 |
| German | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.5 |
| Spanish | 2.0 | 2.2 | 1.7 |
| Other modern languages | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.5 |
| Classical studies | 1.8 | 1.6 | 2.0 |
| Music | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
| Religious studies | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.4 |
| All subjects | 2.7 | 2.4 | 2.4 |
Whole-class Teaching
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what recent assessment he has made of the advantages of whole-class teaching. [135033]
Ms Estelle Morris: Effective whole-class teaching is a key characteristic of high quality teaching in primary schools. Reviews of the research evidence on whole class teaching and other issues were published as part of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. The literacy hour and daily mathematics lesson, which were introduced in September 1998 and 1999 respectively, include substantial elements of whole class teaching in order to maximise the amount of direct teaching that all pupils receive. The Office for Standards in Education has
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confirmed that these lessons have resulted in "better teaching and better achievement in English and mathematics."
School Inspectors
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many school inspectors there are in each local education authority; and how much is spent by each local education authority to fund school inspectors. [135223]
Ms Estelle Morris: Local education authorities employ staff to work with schools to raise standards. Those staff are generally known as inspectors or advisers. The numbers of local authority employed staff in these categories are not centrally collected. A number of those staff are registered inspectors and team inspectors who also carry out school inspections under contract to Ofsted. Local authorities are required to recover the full costs of those inspections through the contract prices that they agree with Ofsted.
Learning Support Units
Mr. Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what specialist training is to be given to teachers working in learning support units. [135482]
Jacqui Smith: Most teachers working in learning support units are experienced in classroom teaching and behaviour management. The amount of extra training they need will be determined by the school, drawing on other staff in the school or the local education authority's behaviour support service.
Mr. Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what involvement the young people attending learning support units will have in their operation. [135484]
Jacqui Smith: Young people attending a unit should be consulted and involved in self-monitoring and in setting individual targets for improving their learning and behaviour. Young people should also be consulted about the rewards and sanctions to be imposed while in the unit.
Mr. Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what criteria he will use to judge the effectiveness of individual learning support units. [135486]
Jacqui Smith: We have required each school with a learning support unit in Excellence in Cities areas to have performance indicators and to set targets over a three-year period. Performance indicators include:
- reduction in the number and frequency of incidents of poor behaviour or discipline in school for which a punishment is imposed;
- improved rates of attendance;
- improved educational achievement of pupils in the target group.
Mr. Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment who will be responsible for the management of learning support units. [135485]
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Jacqui Smith: The day-to-day running of the learning support unit will be the responsibility of the full-time head of unit, but a member of the school's senior management team should have overall responsibility for the management of the unit.
Mr. Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what the expected pupil:teacher ratio is in learning support units. [135488]
Jacqui Smith: Learning support units will be staffed with a full-time head of unit and appropriate support assistance, either full or part-time. There should be between six and not more than 10 pupils in the unit at any one time, either on a full or part-time basis.
Connexions
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to ensure that the Connexions service will deliver (a) a universal and (b) a differentiated service. [135497]
Mr. Wicks [holding answer 31 October 2000]: The Connexions service will provide access for all teenagers to high quality information, advice and guidance about their options in learning and life, and personal support for those who need it. Every teenager is different, and the service can be tailored to individual need. The Secretary of State for Education and Employment announced, on 23 October, a substantial increase in the resources available to deliver the new service. By the end of 2002-03, the funding for the Connexions service will amount to £420 million, which will be £177 million more than the careers service currently receives.
The Government have also issued business planning guidance to the new Connexions partnerships, inviting them to produce plans which identify the needs of all young people in their areas and how they propose to meet them. We will scrutinise these plans to ensure that they are offering a universal service as well as differentiating what is needed for those requiring additional and special help. The new resource and planning guidance will enable Connexions partnerships to deliver a service that meets the needs of all young people, including both those progressing well and those in need of extra help.
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Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to ensure a common approach to the Connexions service (a) within his Department and (b) between his Department and other Departments. [135498]
Mr. Wicks [holding answer 31 October 2000]: The Connexions service will make a major contribution towards the DFEE's objectives to increase participation and attainment in learning throughout the teenage years, thereby providing an effective foundation for lifelong learning. Co-ordinating mechanisms exist to ensure that all the Department's polices for teenagers are developed taking account of the role of the Connexions service. The Connexions service plays a major role in the Government's strategy for support for young people at risk. Coherence between initiatives and policies in this area is overseen by a cross-departmental ministerial group chaired by the Secretary of State for Education and Employment. Implementation of the Connexions service is steered by a group of senior officials from all key Departments who meet on a regular basis.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what quality assurance processes his Department will use to maximise the effectiveness of the Connexions programme. [135499]
Mr. Wicks [holding answer 31 October 2000]: The Department will ensure that Connexions partnerships deliver high quality and effective services by developing, in consultation with key stakeholders: an agreed set of comprehensive national quality delivery standards, a quality management framework which builds on the most appropriate features of established quality systems and, together with Ofsted, an inspection process which will assure that the standards are met. We will also be promoting the sharing of good practice between Connexions partnerships.
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