§ 14. Sir Anthony DurantTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many school pupils and students are currently benefiting from the technical and vocational education initiative.
Mr. JacksonIn the 1990–91 academic year, some 848,000 young people aged 14 to 18 in full-time education in Great Britain are benefiting from TVEI.
§ Sir Anthony DurantWill my hon. Friend confirm that the Government are allocating £900 million over 10 years for the TVEI scheme and that that is over and above the general education budget? Will he also agree that technical training is very important to this country for its future in the world?
Mr. JacksonI can certainly confirm my hon. Friend's statement. The Government have committed £900 million of new money over 10 years, and TVEI now extends to 80 per cent. of our schools and colleges. Furthermore, there have already been great achievements. For example, science qualifications at GCSE have risen from 41 per cent. in 1987 to 53 per cent. in 1988, and the number of pupils studying science and technology has doubled. We have carried out a survey that shows that 84 per cent. of TVEI students say that they benefit from TVEI, although when the scheme was launched the Leader of the Opposition described it as being fit only for hewers of wood and drawers of water.