HC Deb 15 March 1988 vol 129 c531W
28. Mr. Harry Greenway

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the progress of the general certificate of secondary education; and if he will make a statement.

33. Mr. Colin Shepherd

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what further representations he has received concerning the GCSE examination.

59. Mr. Haynes

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he is satisfied with the progress of the general certificate of secondary education examination; and if he will make a statement.

76. Mr. Steinberg

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has received any representations on the funding and the organisation of the GCSE examinations; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Andrew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he is satisfied with the progress of the GCSE examination; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs. Rumbold

The recently published HMI interim report on the GCSE provides reassuring evidence that the new examination is being successfully introduced. It is already leading to better teaching and learning in many classrooms across a wide range of subjects. There have been some teething problems which must be addressed but HMI considers that these are not endangering the progress already made. It is important to ensure that the first pupils to sit the examination are fairly treated, and to press on to ensure that the new exam will—as the Government intend — bring higher standards in schools and give pupils a good preparation for adult and working life.

31. Mrs. Maureen Hicks

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of school leavers in the current year will have taken a GCSE in(a) science and (b) mathematics.

Mrs. Rumbold

Information on the number of school leavers in 1987ߝ88 who will have taken GCSE is not yet available. Of those who left school in the academic year 1985–86, 65.5 per cent. had attempted a science subject and 81.1 had attempted mathematics at either GCE O-level or CSE.