§ Mr. FisherTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will publish a table showing(a) the printing and publishing costs and (b) the numbers of all the documents circulated to schools, local education authorities and the general public concerning the national curriculum.
174Wsince 1978–79 in (i) primary schools, (ii) secondary schools and (iii) special schools in cash and real terms using an index of 100 for 1978–79.
§ Mr. ButcherWhile local authorities' expenditure returns to the Department of the Environment show separate figures for books and equipment, these need to be treated with caution because of differing local authority practices in allocating expenditure between the two items. The table therefore shows spending figures for books and equipment as well as for books and equipment separately.
§ Mrs. RumboldThe table lists DES documents concerning the national curriculum which have been published following the Education Reform Act 1988, with figures for printing costs and copies printed. The National Curriculum Council also publishes information and advice on the national curriculum.
175W
DES Documents on the National Curriculum Date of publication Printing costs £ Number printed School Curriculum and Assessment Draft Circular October 1988 2,400 1,600 Final Circular 5/89 February 1989 18,000 103,000 Local Arrangements for the Consideration of Complaints Draft Circular September 1988 600 1,500 Final Circular 1/89 January 1989 19,800 82,500 School Curriculum and Related Information Discussion paper on information requirements September 1988 1,000 1,300 Draft Circular and regulations January 1989 1,700 1,600 Section 19 of ERA 1988: temporary exceptions for individual pupils Draft Circular and Regulations April 1989 28,000 35,000 Mathematics Proposals (on attainment targets and programmes of study) August 1988 114,700 100,000 Draft Orders December 1988 3,900 2,000 Statutory Orders and Associated Documents and Circular 6/89 March 1989 697,000 318,000 Science Proposals (on attainment targets and programmes of study) August 1988 143,900 120,000 Draft Orders December 1988 5,400 2,300 Statutory Orders and Associated Documents and Circular 6/89 March 1989 663,400 318,000 English (Primary) Proposals (on attainment targets and programmes of study) November 1988 103,700 170,000 Draft Orders March 1989 1,500 1,500 Design and Technology Interim Report of Working Group November 1988 37,500 15,000 Modern Foreign Languages Draft Order and Circular March 1989 1,200 2,500 Other Documents From Policy to Practice February 1989 215,000 600,000
§ Ms. ArmstrongTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) whether he will make it his policy to distribute copies to school teachers of the order for English, key stage 1 in the national curriculum, when he lays the order before the House; if he will ensure that such a distribution is completed before the end of the current school term; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if he will make it his policy to ensure that all primary school teachers with responsibility for teaching English to children in key stage 1 of the national curriculum from September will have adequate access to the relevant programmes of study and attainment targets before the end of the current school term; if he will consider the practical difficulties facing primary school teachers in the case that such access before the end of the current school term is not achieved; what is the earliest date for the end of the current school term of which his Department is aware; and if he will make a statement;
(3) what progress has been made towards making the statutory order for English, key stage 1 in the national curriculum since his reply to the hon. Member for Rugby and Kenilworth (Mr. Pawsey) of 17 March, Official Report, columns 357–58; whether he still expects to make the final order in May; what account he has taken in his plans of the approaching end of the current school term; and if he will make a statement;
(4) what steps his Department is taking to ensure that all primary school teachers with responsibility for teaching English to children in key stage 1 of the national curriculum from September will have adequate access to the relevant programmes of study and attainment targets 176W before the end of the summer term; by what date he expects such teachers will have been provided with (a) adequate access to the relevant programmes of study and attainment targets and (b) such other relevant information as may be planned by his Department or the National Curriculum Council; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. RumboldFollowing completion of consultations on the draft, my right hon. Friend aims to lay the final order for English in key stage 1 of the national curriculum before Parliament at the end of May. Immediately afterwards, he intends to send initial copies, with the accompanying statutory document and circular of guidance, direct to all maintained primary and secondary schools, nursery schools, special schools, local education authorities, teacher training institutions and other bodies. Bulk supplies will then be dispatched to local education authorities by mid-June for delivery to all primary and special school teachers. Further priced copies of the document will be available from Her Majesty's Stationery Office. This should enable schools and teachers concerned with English in key stage 1 to have details of the attainment targets and programmes of study well before the end of their summer terms. The National Curriculum Council plans to issue non-statutory guidance to schools during the summer.