§ 13. Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what new proposals she has to improve the accuracy of education statistics. [3880]
§ Mr. Robin SquireThe Department has a continuous programme to ensure the accuracy of statistics.
§ Mr. FlynnCan the statistics be improved to show the huge increase in the number of children in care being excluded from grant-maintained schools? In one district where all but one of the schools are grant-maintained, only the one local authority school is now admitting children in care. The police have pointed out that the huge increase in exclusions—a result of the schools' league tables—is causing great problems to society, and is adding greatly to the distress of young people who have suffered unfairly from all the misfortunes that life has thrown at them.
§ Mr. SquireMy Department has no evidence to suggest that grant-maintained schools, any more than LEA schools, are excluding pupils disproportionately. If the hon. Gentleman has such evidence, I invite him to send it to the Department. All the comments from the hon. Gentleman and other Opposition Members suggest that the Opposition's claims that they support grant-maintained schools are based on fragile ground.
§ Mr. Patrick ThompsonDoes my hon. Friend agree that, rather than calling for new and improved statistics, the Opposition should perhaps spend more time studying the statistics that are available? Do not the statistics show that the Opposition's determination to abolish the assisted places scheme is irrelevant to the quality of education of our young people? Do not they show that thousands of less well-off families benefit from the scheme? Should not the Opposition learn a lesson from the statistics?
§ Mr. SquireLike my hon. Friend, I remain optimistic that the lesson may be learned by the Opposition, but there are no encouraging signs. He is right that the assisted places scheme has assisted children from households who would otherwise have no chance to take advantage of that good education.