HL Deb 20 October 1988 vol 500 cc1252-3

3.17 p.m.

Lord Peston asked Her Majesty's Government:

When the standard assessment tasks for pupils at or near the end of the first key stage in mathematics, science and English will be publicly available.

Viscount Davidson

My Lords, specification for development of standard assessment tasks (SATs) for key stage 1 pupils were issued on 10th October, and contracts will be let in December. The SATs should be available by Easter 1991 in preparation for the first full assessment the following summer.

Lord Peston

My Lords, in thanking the noble Viscount for his Answer, perhaps I may remind him how controversial this subject is—

Noble Lords

Question, question!

Lord Peston

My Lords, does the noble Viscount agree—well, he will not agree. Perhaps I may ask him whether the tasks will be made known publicly and in particular how they will be interpreted. Will they be placed in the public domain?

Viscount Davidson

My Lords, in answering the noble Lord, the best I can do is to advise him that the department has sent a draft circular to a wide range of organisations. The circular sets out the provisions on curriculum and assessment in Sections 1 to 25 of the Education Reform Act 1988. He will find the answers to both those questions in that particular document which has been placed in the Library.

Lord Ritchie of Dundee

My Lords, is the Minister aware that there is widespread bewilderment among teachers of children with special educational needs as to how testing and assessment of their progress can at the same time be standardised and adapted to their special needs? Can the Minister make any reassuring statement on that point?

Viscount Davidson

My Lords, I can make a reassuring statement by saying that I have read the draft circular and the answer to the noble Lord's question lies therein.

Baroness David

My Lords, is the Minister aware that that draft circular dropped onto my desk yesterday, as it has no doubt dropped on many other desks around the country, and another draft circular dropped on my desk today? I should like to ask the Minister, because it is not clear, whether the general public are being made aware of what is going on, because there is a great deal of anxiety among parents who are not governors and other members of the general community. Can he give any assurance that that information, which is causing a great deal of work in education authorities, is also being spread to members of the public generally?

Viscount Davidson

My Lords, I will certainly draw the remarks of the noble Baroness to the attention of my right honourable friend. However, this draft circular has been sent to all local education authorities and other interested bodies for their comments. They are free to make all the comments that they wish. The final circular, based on those comments, will be published in the new year.

Lord Peston

My Lords, may I press another matter? One worry of parents, as the noble Viscount is well aware, is privacy of the assessment. Can he reassure the House that the assessment of young people at the age of seven will be entirely a private matter between teachers and the parents and that it will not become public knowledge?

Viscount Davidson

My Lords, that is an assurance I can give.