Seven-year-olds (Reporting) (Hansard, 12 March 1991)

§ 6. Mr. Sayeed
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on reporting by schools to parents of seven-year-olds.

§ Mr. Evennett
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on reporting by schools to parents of seven-year-olds.

§ The Minister of State, Department of Education and Science (Mr. Tim Eggar)
Under regulations made last year, all parents of seven-year-olds will this summer receive a written report giving them the results of testing in mathematics, science and English, along with commentary on their child's performance in other subjects.

§ Mr. Sayeed
I welcome that announcement and ask the Minister for two pledges. First, will the time that teachers have to take in the preparation and administration of tests be dramatically reduced and, secondly, will schools be required to publish the results of tests for seven-year-olds?

§ Mr. Eggar
My hon. Friend raises two important points. We have reduced significantly the amount of time that the application of the test will take this summer. We shall be monitoring carefully how well it goes in schools and we shall not hesitate to make further changes should they prove appropriate. As for publishing the results of the tests for seven-year-olds, it will not be compulsory this summer, but we hope that all schools will in practice publish the results.

§ Mr. Evennett
I thank my hon. Friend for that interesting reply. Does he agree that parents are the primary educators of children and that such school reports are essential if they are to help at home with school work —building on the foundations that children get at school —during school holidays and in the evenings?

§ Mr. Eggar
I agree strongly with my hon. Friend. It is important that schools, as a matter of policy, involve parents in the education of their children. That is why we are advocating that annual reports should include a section making recommendations to parents about what they might wish to help their children with out of school. In addition, we hope that all schools for all children of all ages will have an active homework policy which involves parents.

§ Rev. Martin Smyth
I welcome the concept of assessment and the encouragement of the development of gifts, but what steps is the Department taking to make sure that children of seven will not be labelled failures by parents or others?

§ Mr. Eggar
It is important to stress that the tests for seven-year-olds are designed to assess how well children have done, to identify their strengths and their weaknesses and to enable parents and schools to work out how they can assist the children and further improve their performance.

§ Ms. Harman
Is the Minister aware that some seven-year-olds will not be tested, because they will not be getting any education? I refer to those in hospital in London. Is he aware of the threat to the education service in hospitals because the large teaching hospitals draw children from many education authorities in London arid the surrounding areas but the small local education authorities in London cannot provide education for children not only from their own areas but from surrounding areas? Will the Department make sure that 797 local education authorities are required to provide that education and that the Department will recoup the cost from the other boroughs as and when it is able to do so?

§ Mr. Eggar
The hon. Lady identifies a difficult area. We are in touch with the local authorities and hospitals concerned. We are working hard to try to ensure that we maintain the appropriate level and type of education in hospitals.