§ 13. Mr. Gristasked the Secretary of State for Wales if he is satisfied with the standard of teaching in secondary schools in Wales.
§ Mr. John Stradling ThomasWhile I am broadly satisfied with the standard of teaching in secondary schools in Wales, I have no doubt that there is always room for improvement. The Government's proposals to improve teaching quality are set out in the White Paper "Teaching Quality"—Cmnd. 8836—presented last March.
§ Mr. GristIs my hon. Friend aware of the criticism by Her Majesty's inspectorate of low teacher expectation in much of the state sector, particularly in respect of the education of girls? This is an aspect that should be looked at seriously.
§ Mr. Stradling ThomasWe are aware that there is a problem to do with under-achievement. We have published a series of occasional papers, beginning last year with "Planning for Progress", aimed at helping schools and authorities to evaluate their arrangements and improve the quality of the education offered to boys and girls alike.
§ Mr. Geraint HowellsIs the Minister satisfied with the standard of teaching in Welsh bilingual secondary schools?
§ Mr. Stradling ThomasIf I were satisfied I should not be discharging my responsibilities if I were to let matters remain as they are. There is always room for improvement, and there is a broad range of proposals to improve quality generally.