§ 14. Mr. Nicholas BennettTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the average secondary pupil-teacher ratio in 1987–88; and what was the comparable figure in 1978–79.
§ Mr. DunnThe average pupil-teacher ratio for maintained secondary schools in England for 1987–88 is not yet available. The average pupil-teacher ratio in 1986–87 was 15.6:1. That was an improvement on 1978–79, when the average pupil-teacher ratio in maintained secondary schools was 16.7:1.
§ Mr. BennettDoes my hon. Friend agree that those excellent figures give the lie to Labour claims that education has been cut? Will he confirm that the Government's expenditure plans will lead to a further reduction in the pupil-teacher ratio?
§ Mr. DunnYes. I go a stage further and say that the Government have captured the high ground in the education debate. We shall continue to dictate the terms for that debate for the remainder of this century and well 942 into the 21st. The last time that the hon. Member for Blackburn (Mr. Straw) made an original statement was when the midwife thumped him at birth. The only trouble is that she did not thump him hard enough.