HC Deb 02 March 1993 vol 220 c128
6. Mr. Bowis

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what flexibility he has given to schools on the length of the school day.

Mr. Patten

I shall try to show some improvement, Madam Speaker.

Governors have a great deal of flexibility. I am always pleased to hear when that is being used imaginatively, as I understand may be the case in Battersea technology college in my hon. Friend's constituency and as is certainly the case in the 15 excellent city technology colleges that we already have. The length of the school day should be limited only by the capacity of children to learn.

Mr. Bowis

I thank my right hon. Friend for his answer. Is not flexibility one of the great, outstanding freedoms for our schools? Does my right hon. Friend agree that the key to that freedom is flexibility in regard to pay, enabling existing teachers to be paid more for the extra hours that they work and removing the need to recruit part-time extra teachers? A quick yes and yes to that question will do nicely.

Mr. Patten

In shorthand, maybe and maybe. If I may, however, I shall answer in slightly longer hand.

I am very pleased at the 30 per cent. increase in teachers' salaries over the past three years, which compares with a 16 per cent. increase across the economy as a whole. I should like teachers to be better paid and I should like the teaching profession to be even more respected. There will, however, be a twofold price for that over the years: first, the introduction of performance-related pay and, secondly, much greater flexibility in regard to hours.

Mr. Win Griffiths

In any consideration of the flexibility of the school day, will the Secretary of State issue guidance to schools on the better community use of their facilities? Would not a better way to tackle problems such as truancy be to make the school a real part of the community, instead of its being hived off in an opt-out corner and the rest of the community feeling divorced from the people using the school?

Mr. Patten

I agree with the hon. Gentleman. Not only the concept but the actuality of community schools and colleges, of which there are many, should be applauded. The hon. Gentleman is right and we should do all that we can.