Education (Schools) Bill (Hansard, 20 January 1992)

§ 1. Mr. Murphy
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with local education authorities in Wales regarding the provisions affecting Wales in the Education (Schools) Bill.

§ 6. Mr. Rowlands
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will make a statement on the future of Her Majesty's inspectorate of schools in Wales.

§ The Minister of State, Welsh Office (Sir Wyn Roberts)
The provisions in the Education (Schools) Bill relating to the inspection of schools and information on their performance were trailed in the citizens charter and the charter for parents in Wales, copies of which were sent to all local authorities in Wales as well as to a wide range of bodies representative of education interests. My officials have met representatives of the local education authorities to discuss various aspects of the new proposals and there has also been correspondence with the Department.
An announcement on the future role and organisation of Her Majesty's inspectorate of schools in Wales will be made shortly.

§ Mr. Murphy
Does the Minister accept that education in Wales owes much to the professionalism and the independence of the Welsh schools inspectorate, and that there is widespread hostility among both teachers and parents in Wales to the possible privatisation of that service? Most importantly, why is the latest report on schools inspectors in Wales gathering dust on the Minister's desk? The House has a right to know why he is suppressing that report.

§ Sir Wyn Roberts
Of course the inspectorate is highly respected in Wales, but the hon. Gentleman will know that it was never geared to carry out inspections with the frequency that we expect will result from the provisions of the Education (Schools) Bill and that we envisage in the parents charter. What Labour Members say makes it sound as though they do not want parents to know what the schools that their children are attending are like.
With regard to privatisation, the hon. Gentleman must realise that if inspections are to be carried out with the kind of frequency that we have in mind, there has to be a considerable change in the inspection procedure. The consultants' report is part of our wider consideration of the future role of the inspectorate. It is an internal review, and we do not intend to publish it.

§ Mr. Rowlands
That is a disgraceful statement. Was not the citizens charter supposed to be all about open Government? The Minister has now said that he will not even publish the report. Is that because the report does not substantiate the proposals in the Education (Schools) Bill, which is nothing more than English ideology that the Government are transmitting to Wales? Why is the Minister slavishly following the English example when the Secretary of State for Scotland is not doing so? His right hon. Friend is sustaining and expanding the Scottish inspectorate, so why is the Minister emaciating ours?

§ Sir Wyn Roberts
The hon. Gentleman is talking a lot of nonsense. His concentration on the consultants' review is ridiculous. Labour Members should consider what is said in the parents charter about inspection of schools in Wales. It is as a result of that charter that we have to take steps to change the inspectorate.

§ Mr. Gwilym Jones
How often are schools in Wales inspected by HMI and what change in that frequency is my right hon. Friend seeking to achieve?

§ Sir Wyn Roberts
I cannot give my hon. Friend a precise answer to that question, but the inspection of a school in Wales is a fairly rare occurrence, taking schools as a whole. The 58 inspectors spend only 65 per cent. of their time inspecting and the other 35 per cent. advising. Again, I urge the House to consider the fact that we expect inspections of individual schools to take place on a four to five-yearly basis.