HL Deb 23 November 1992 vol 540 cc795-6

2.57 p.m.

Lord Taylor of Blackburn asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is their response to the concerns raised by teachers, parents and local authorities about the publication of raw examinations results.

The Minister of State, Department of Education (Baroness Blatch)

My Lords, publication of examination results has been widely welcomed as a further contribution to the debate about standards in our schools. We want parents to have as much information as possible about all aspects of schools. Examination results are an important part of that package.

Lord Taylor of Blackburn

My Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply. I do not disagree with her about giving parents as much information as is possible. However, does the Minister not agree that the way in which the results have been presented has caused much anxiety to parents, teachers and local authorities?

Baroness Blatch

My Lords, I am not absolutely certain what the noble Lord is referring to. It may be worth while to put the whole matter into perspective. It has been a phenomenally successful exercise. There were a quarter of a million factors and 4,600 schools. There have been 82 complaints, of which 61 have been investigated so far. Of those 61, five have been substantiated and of those five, two were typing errors in the names of the schools.

Baroness Blackstone

My Lords, is the Minister not aware that the publication of statistics in this form has not been widely welcomed but widely denigrated by the majority of the national press as well as those who have any expertise in this sphere? When the statistics are published in local newspapers, as the Government say they intend to do, will they check with all the schools concerned as to the accuracy of the statistics, since there seem to have been a number of errors? Will the Minister ensure also as regards the publication of statistics that it is made absolutely clear when a school has no sixth form or when a school is a special school?

Baroness Blatch

My Lords, I can confirm that every school in the country was checked. As we investigated many of the complaints we found that the errors were mainly on the part of schools in verifying the information. Further, contrary to what the noble Baroness said, the tables were widely welcomed by the press. Ten leaders of newspapers came out overwhelmingly in favour of the information being made public; only two leaders were against, one being the Daily Mirror. Only one of those 10 newspapers that came out overwhelmingly in favour decided on Sunday to reverse that view, and that was the Independent on Sunday. Otherwise there has been wide acclaim for the information being made public.

The Earl of Halsbury

My Lords, if examination results are to be published at all, is it not better that they be raw rather than cooked?

Baroness Blatch

My Lords, I absolutely agree that they should be raw rather than cooked. But as time moves on it will be possible to make judgments regarding how far a child has travelled in terms of his or her progress in education whatever the base he or she started from, whether that be a low ability or a high ability base.

Forward to