HC Deb 06 July 2000 vol 353 cc410-1
6. Mr. David Watts (St. Helens, North)

What steps the Government have taken to improve standards of literacy and numeracy in schools. [127925]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Employment (Jacqui Smith)

The national literacy and numeracy strategies, supported this year by funding of £200 million, have transformed the quality of teaching, and raised standards in primary schools. In the 1999 key stage 2 tests, the number of 11-year-olds achieving the expected level for their age increased by six percentage points for English, and by 10 percentage points for mathematics.

Mr. Watts

The Government's initiative in St. Helens is improving the level of attainment of most children, and is very welcome. What does my hon. Friend think would happen if we implemented the Tories' proposals, and sacked all those involved in that important initiative?

Jacqui Smith

I, too, congratulate both the teachers and the support staff who have been involved in the raising of standards in St. Helens.

My hon. Friend has raised an important point. Much of the success of the national literacy and numeracy strategies has been due to local support from experts in training, and teachers who have been able to promote the better teaching of reading, writing and mathematics. They have been funded through the standards fund, which was described by the Leader of the Opposition as "a gimmicky grant." I do not think that those children or the parents who are benefiting from the higher standards in our schools think that it is gimmicky to support local education authorities and schools to teach our children to read, to write and to add up better than they did under the previous Government.

Mr. George Stevenson (Stoke-on-Trent, South)

Will my hon. Friend join me in congratulating the head, the staff, the pupils and the parents at Western Coyney infants school in my constituency, which has just been awarded beacon status? They have an excellent record on literacy and numeracy. Is not that award even more commendable owing to the fact that the school does not select its pupils and is in the middle of one of the most socially and economically deprived areas in my constituency? Does it not show the success and determination of the Government in raising standards?

Jacqui Smith

I certainly join my hon. Friend in congratulating the teachers, the children and the governors at that school, because it is clear that the standards that we are seeing in literacy and numeracy have been achieved because of the commitment and enthusiasm of teachers and of those who support them in LEAs, and by the Government's commitment to ensuring that we raise standards. The work has been done at school level and many congratulations are due to those who have done it.