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13 Mar 2006 : Column 1874W—continued
International Baccalaureate
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many maintained schools offered the International Baccalaureate in each year since 1996. [56694]
Jacqui Smith: The information on number of pupils by their course of study is derived from Annual Schools Census returns made by schools to the Department in January each year. Due to underlying changes in the data collection the number of maintained schools offering the International Baccalaureate is not available prior to 2002.
The following table shows the number of maintained schools offering the International Baccalaureate Courses from 2002 to 2005 and the number of pupils taking the qualification.
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(17) Includes solely registered pupils only. A solely registered pupil is one who has a single registration at one school.
(18) Pupils aged 16 or over only.
(19) Pupils in National Curriculum years 12, 13 and 14 only.
Media Training
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much has been spent by her Department on media training in each year since 1997–98. [55210]
Maria Eagle: We do not hold information centrally on any media training undertaken by officials and would be able to collect it only at a disproportionate cost.
Multi-sensory Rooms
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many multi-sensory rooms for people with learning difficulties are provided by Lancashire county council. [55744]
Maria Eagle: The decision on the placement of such facilities has to be taken locally, based on local assessments of need. In view of this my Department does not routinely collect such detailed information. My officials therefore contacted Lancashire county council, to whom I am grateful for the following information.
With regard to disabled children and young people, I understand that more than half of the 32 special schools in Lancashire have multi-sensory rooms. 16 of these schools are for children with the most severe and complex disabilities and 15 of these have sensory rooms, with plans to provide this resource to the remaining special school without the facility.
With regard to disabled adults, I understand there are 18 specialist day centres for adults with learning disabilities. Approximately two thirds of these have some multi-sensory resources, mainly in a dedicated room.
Overseas Students
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what proportion of overseas students studying in further education institutions in England are from India. [45117]
Bill Rammell:
Pursuant to the answer of 6 February 2006, Official Report, column 1015W, I am providing an amended response.
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Defining for this purpose home learners as those whose country of domicile is England then there were a total of 91,260 overseas students in further education institutions in England in 2004/05. Of these, 2,930 were from India which represents 3.2 per cent. of the total.
Power to Innovate Programme
Mr. Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which regulatory requirements have been lifted from specific schools for a time- limited period pursuant to the Power to Innovate programme. [57150]
Jacqui Smith: A list of the regulatory requirements that have been lifted from specific schools as a result of Power to Innovate Orders can be found in the first three annual reports to Parliament (available in the Library).
In addition, two Orders have been made since publication of the latest annual report. These have enabled the following schools exemption from the following regulations:
Education (School Organisation Proposals) Regulations 1999
Enabling the following schools to extend the upper age limit for pupils;
New Schools (General) (England) Regulations 2003
Enabling the governing body of the following school to alter its governance composition;
Press Complaints
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills on how many occasions since 1 April 2003 she has complained to the Press Complaints Commission about the coverage in the press of (a) Ministers or officials and (b) her Department; and how many of these complaints were upheld. [47080]
Bill Rammell: The Department has not made any complaints to the PCC during the period specified.
Publication Pulping
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the publications identified as pulped in quantity on page 62 of her Department's resource accounts; how many of each publication were pulped; what was the face value of each pulped publication; and what the cost was of disposal. [53120]
Bill Rammell:
Listed as follows are the publications, number of each publication item, and the replacement unit cost. The cost of disposal was £9,000, recovered within two months by savings in storage. The cost of pulping was off-set by the sell-on of recycled paper.
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Religious Education
Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many city academies are obliged by their agreements to follow the locally agreed syllabus for religious education; and what agreement has been made concerning the teaching of religious education in those academies that are not required to do so. [55478]
Jacqui Smith: Religious education must be taught at academies and assessed to at least key stage 3. There are currently 19 academies which are not designated as having a religious character. According to their funding agreements, their religious education syllabus should mirror that of maintained schools in reflecting that the religious traditions in Great Britain are in the main Christian. They must also take into account the teaching and practices of the other principal religions represented in Great Britain. Such a syllabus however cannot be taught in a manner distinctive of a particular religion. In the main religious education taught in academies which are not designated as having a religious character follows the locally agreed syllabus.
There are currently eight academies which are designated as having a religious character. Under their funding agreements, the academies must provide religious education to all pupils at the academy in accordance with the tenets of that school's specified religion.
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