HC Deb 08 June 2000 vol 351 cc403-4
1. Mr. Keith Darvill (Upminster)

If he will make a statement on progress with the excellence in cities proposals for learning mentors.[123333]

The Secretary of State for Education and Employment (Mr. David Blunkett)

The excellence in cities programme has so far seen the recruitment of 800 learning mentors with a further 600 to come in the new extended excellence in cities areas. The mentors work with schools and with parents and help to reduce disaffection and alienation. In the case of the Wales high school in Rotherham, they have cut non-attendance and late attendance by 60 per cent. They also help to reduce the exclusion of children from school by working with them to overcome their problems.

Mr. Darvill

I thank my right hon. Friend for that answer. Does he agree that learning mentors, alongside on-site pupil referrals and other measures, are a vital part of the Government's programme for tackling disaffection and the problems of disruption in schools? Will he confirm that, under the Conservative Government, thousands of young people were excluded from school and were left out on the streets to commit crimes? Does he also agree that the Conservatives are Johnny-come-latelys on this issue and have no ideas to offer?

Mr. Blunkett

Johnny-come-lately is an admirable description of the Leader of the Opposition. He was away at Easter and the spring bank holiday, so he missed the two speeches in which I addressed the issues that he talked about earlier this week. There are 1,000 learning support units in schools across the country, with proper funding and a full education for pupils in referral units such as the Zacchaeus centre in Birmingham, which was funded by the Government's school inclusion grant. The grant enables schools to buy back in the services that they need at the referral unit and it ensures that children can work with mentors and have places when that is necessary. All that has gone on because the Government have changed from £17 million to £527 million the amount of money that is available. A Johnny-come-lately, who was on holiday when these matters were discussed, has suddenly caught up with them now that he is back from swimming with the dolphins.

Mr. Graham Brady (Altrincham and Sale, West)

As part of the Government's laudable aim of achieving excellence in cities, they are setting up new private schools, the city academies that are funded by the state. Ministers have determined that the practice of such centres selecting 10 per cent. of their pupils will raise standards in our cities. Will the Secretary of State explain what has led him to the view that 10 per cent. is the correct percentage? Does he not believe that the optimum percentage might be 5, 20 or perhaps even on occasions 100 per cent?

Mr. Blunkett

The initiative has nothing at all to do with mentors or the excellence in cities in programme in general, but it is entirely in line with our diversity programme in which specialist schools have exactly the same opportunity in terms of aptitude not selection. The previous Government were quite happy to use that distinction themselves and it has been dealt with on numerous occasions. No doubt, we shall return to it when I have more time to explain the difference to the hon. Gentleman.