FORMAL MINUTES
Tuesday 15 March 2005
Members present:
Mr Barry Sheerman, in the Chair
| Mr David Chaytor | Paul Holmes
|
| Mr Nick Gibb | Helen Jones |
| Mr John Greenway | |
The Committee deliberated.
Draft Report (14-19 Education), proposed by the Chairman, brought
up and read.
Ordered, That the Chairman's draft Report be read a second
time, paragraph by paragraph.
Paragraphs 1 to 72 read and agreed to.
Paragraphs 73 to 77 read.
Motion made, to leave out paragraphs 73 to 77 and insert the following
new paragraphs:
"We welcome the Secretary of State's decision to reject the
Working Group's proposals relating to GCSEs and 'A' levels. Given
that the key problem to be addressed is the lack of coherence
and rigour in respect of vocational qualifications, abolishing
GCSEs and 'A' levels would have been an unnecessary distraction
and would have added to the confusion in the public's understanding
of academic qualifications.
"As the Secretary of State told the House of Commons, the
way to improve opportunities was not by abolishing 'what is good,
what works and what is recognised.'
"We welcome the Government's decision to provide more information
in respect of a candidate's performance at 'A' level to enable
universities to distinguish between achievement levels at particular
grades.
"We welcome the Government's decision to focus on improving
and rationalising vocational qualifications and we welcome the
reforms to GCSE English and Maths".-(Mr Nick Gibb.)
The Committee divided.
Ayes, 1
Mr Nick Gibb
| Noes, 4
Mr David Chaytor
Mr John Greenway
Paul Holmes
Helen Jones
|
Question put, That paragraphs 73 to 77 stand part of the report.
The Committee divided.
|
Ayes, 4
Mr David Chaytor
Mr John Greenway
Paul Holmes
Helen Jones
| Noes, 1
Mr Nick Gibb
|
Paragraphs 78 to 83 agreed to.
Paragraph 84 read.
Question put, That the paragraph stand part of the report.
The Committee divided.
|
Ayes, 4
Mr David Chaytor
Mr John Greenway
Paul Holmes
Helen Jones
| Noes, 1
Mr Nick Gibb
|
Paragraphs 85 to 108 read and agreed to.
Summary agreed to.
Resolved, That the Report be the Sixth Report of the Committee
to the House.
Ordered, That the Chairman do make the Report to the House.
Ordered, That the provisions of Standing Order No. 134
(Select committees (reports)) be applied to the Report.
Several papers were ordered to be appended to the Minutes of Evidence.
Ordered, That the Appendices to the Minutes of Evidence
taken before the Committee be reported to the House.
The Committee further deliberated.
[Adjourned until Wednesday 16 March at 9.15
am
| 
