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15 Oct 2007 : Column 899W—continued
Teachers: Qualifications
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether he plans to raise the minimum standards required to teach in the state-funded sector. [154522]
Jim Knight: We have recently reviewed and revised the complete suite of professional standards required of qualified teachers. These began to operate from 1 September 2007 and can be seen at:
The new standards clarify the professional characteristics that a teacher should be expected to maintain and to build on at different career stages, and apply equally to experienced teachers and those in training.
Teachers: Sick Leave
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many teachers are on long-term sick leave; [151163]
(2) how many (a) primary and (b) secondary school teachers were assaulted by a parent in each of the last 10 years. [151235]
Jim Knight: The information requested is not collected centrally.
Teachers: Training
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families for what reasons mature students born before 1 September 1979 are required to have a GCSE at grade C or above (or recognised equivalent) in science in order to begin initial teacher training; and if he will make a statement. [154521]
Jim Knight: All entrants to initial teacher training must have at least a GCSE at grade C in English and mathematics or have reached an equivalent standard. Additionally, those wishing to train to teach in primary schools also need to have a GCSE at grade C in science or to have reached an equivalent standard. This additional requirement is to ensure that non-specialist teachers who teach science in the primary schools have some background knowledge in the subject. This is not required in secondary because science will normally be taught by a specialist.
Since 1 September 2007 the new Requirements for Initial Teacher Training have applied the science requirement to all primary trainees regardless of their age because we consider it essential that all primary teachers must have the necessary knowledge to teach science to pupils. Prior to this, primary trainees who were born before 1 September 1979 were exempted from the GCSE science requirement because their school days would have been before science in Key Stage 4 became compulsory in the National Curriculum. However, as it is quite possible for people in this category wanting to apply for initial teacher training in primary to study for and pass GCSE at grade C in science or reach an equivalent standard before they do so, and in view of the importance of science teaching in schools, we decided that the previous exemption should be formally discontinued from September 2007.
The exemption was informally removed in October 2006 to comply with new legislation on age discrimination and in anticipation of the change planned in the Requirements. By this time the vast majority of 2006/07 primary applicants had already been accepted for, or had already begun, their courses and were unaffected. The main change will be for those wishing to pursue primary training from 2007/08.
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will assess the effectiveness of the on-line system used by the Graduate Teacher Training Registry, with particular reference to its effectiveness in (a) processing and (b) tracking applications. [155656]
Jim Knight: The Graduate Teacher Training Registry processes applications for postgraduate Initial Teacher Training (ITT) and Initial Teacher Education (ITE) courses in England, Wales and Scotland. Courses applied for are provided at universities, colleges and school-centred initial teacher training consortia. Applications are made primarily through an on-line system. Over 99 per cent. of applicants use the on-line facility but a paper form is also available. Applicants can track their application throughout the cycle, viewing decisions made by providers and updating their choice and personal details. During the 2006-07 cycle 26,223 applicants were accepted onto courses. The 2007-08 cycle opened on 12 September.
I have no reason to believe that the system does not provide a good service for both applicants and providers.
Vocational Education
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will make a statement on the development of the (a) 14-19 curriculum and (b) vocational education. [154517]
Jim Knight: We are making good progress on the development of new Diplomas—the first five qualifications were accredited in September 2007 and will be taught by schools and colleges within selected consortia areas by September 2008. By 2013 every young person will be entitled to study for a diploma across all employment sectors, combining academic study with practical experience to give young people a strong platform of skills development and insight into the ways a sector works.
Work-related learning (WRL), is an increasingly important part of the 14-19 curriculum, and is a key feature of Diplomas. WRL helps to develop the skills and attitudes that are essential in preparing young people for the world of work and has been a part of the statutory requirement at Key Stage 4 since 2004. Surveys from the QCA and Ofsted in 2007 provide good evidence that it is helping deliver better results for young people. In addition over 120,000 young people are involved in applied learning programmes such as the Increased Flexibility Programme, Young Apprenticeships and KS4 Engagement, leading to a range of applied qualifications, skills, motivational developments and progression opportunities. The final report of the review of work-related learning, published on 4 October 2007, sets out how we will build on the best practice that exists to embed work-related learning across the 14-19 curriculum. A copy of the report has been placed in the House Library.
Young People: Education
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many (a) males and (b) females aged between 16 and 25 were not in education, employment or training in (i) 1997, (ii) 2001, (iii) 2005 and (iv) 2007. [156164]
Beverley Hughes: The main official estimates for those not in education, employment or training (NEET) are for academic ages 16(1) to 18. This is the age group covered by the Department's Public Service Agreement (PSA) target on NEET, to
“reduce the proportion of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) by 2 percentage points by 2010 (from a baseline of 10 per cent at end 2004).”
The 16-18 NEET estimates can be accessed in a Statistical First Release (SFR) published by the Department, see web link:
The latest figures available are for 2006. The following figures are for individuals between the academic ages of 16 and 18 who were NEET in 1997, 2001, 2005 and 2006.
(1) Academic age is the age of the individual measured at the beginning of the academic year, 31 August. Academic age 16 would be for those individuals in the year following compulsory education.
| Males | |||
| 16-18 NEET | 16-18 population | Percentage of 16-18 NEET | |
| Females | |||
| 16-18 NEET | 16-18 population | Percentage of 16-18 NEET | |
| All | |||
| 16-18 NEET | 16-18 population | Percentage of 16-18 NEET | |
Although fluctuating, the percentage NEET has risen slightly overall between 1997 and 2004 with a rise to a peak in 2005. This was due to a combination of factors; numbers in education and training fell at the start of the decade, and numbers in employment have fallen since 2003.
More encouraging though, the latest (2006) NEET figures show that the proportion of young people who are NEET fell, especially among 16 and 17-year-olds. The last three years have seen a steady rise in participation rates, which shows that our education reforms are having an impact.
The number of 16 to 25-year-olds who are not in education, employment or training can be estimated using the Labour Force Survey (LFS), although it should be noted that these are not directly comparable to the SFR estimates. The following figures are for individuals between the academic age of 16 and 25 who were NEET in 1997, 2001, 2005, and 2006. They are estimates from quarter 4 (October-December) of the LFS, which historically has been the quarter providing figures closest to the SFR for 16 to 18-year-olds.
| Males | |||
| 16-25 MEET | 16-25 population | Percentage of 16-25 NEET | |
| Females | |||
| 16-25 NEET | 16-25 population | Percentage of 16-25 NEET | |
| All | |||
| 16-25 NEET | 16-25 population | Percentage of 16-25 NEET | |
Young People: Public Transport
Mr. Simon: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many local authority children and young people plans refer to transport planning for those aged 18 and under, with particular reference to ensuring access for them to (a) education and (b) recreational opportunities. [153760]
Jim Knight: The Department for Children, Schools and Families does not hold this information.
Health
Ambulance Services
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in developing measures of patient outcome and experience of provision of NHS ambulance services referred to on page 60 of Taking Healthcare to the Patient: Transforming NHS Ambulance services, published on 30 June 2005. [156797]
Mr. Bradshaw: Recommendations concerning audit, including measures around patient outcome and experience, are the responsibility of the ambulance trusts, and are currently being addressed by the ambulance trusts.
Ambulance Services: Emergency Calls
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to implement the recommendation in paragraph 4.13 of Taking Healthcare to the Patient: Transforming NHS Ambulance services, published on 30 June 2005, to encourage greater clinical decision-making during initial telephone calls to (a) 999, (b) NHS Direct, (c) out-of-hours providers and (d) other telephone access points in the NHS. [156798]
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