HC Deb 23 March 1979 vol 964 cc118-9W
11. Mr. Giles Shaw

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she is satisfied with the standard of attainment in schools.

Mrs. Shirley Williams

I am always anxious to raise the level of attainment in schools, and the Green Paper"Education in Schools"outlined various ways in which this might be achieved. The forthcoming report on local education authority arrangements for the curriculum will provide a means of furthering developments in this field.

Mr. Biggs-Davison

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she is satisfied with the levels of attainment in English in schools.

Miss Margaret Jackson

My right hon. Friend and I are always seeking to improve attainment in English. In the report of the HMI primary survey the evidence was consistent with a rising trend in reading standards over the past 20 years.