§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list those he has consulted regarding(a) changes to GCSE coursework requirements, (b) the plans for further education in the Further and Higher Education Bill, (c) the plans for the schools inspectorate in the Education (Schools) Bill and (d) the plans for higher education in the Further and Higher Education Bill.
§ Mr. EggarMy right hon. Friend consulted the School Examinations and Assessment Council (SEAC), which has access to the advice of examining bodies and teachers, on changes to GCSE coursework requirements.
The plans for further education underlying part I of the Further and Higher Education Bill were set out in the White Paper "Education and Training for the 21st Century" (Cm 1536). This contained an open invitation to interested parties to comment.
The plans for school inspection were set out in the parents charter, which also contained an open invitation to comment. In addition, the Department of Education and Science wrote to local education authorities and relevant national bodies inviting comments on the inspection proposals. A full list is attached to the Department's letter of 2 October, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.
The plans for higher education underlying part II of the Further and Higher Education Bill were set out in the White Paper "Higher Education: a New Framework" (Cm. 1541). Although the White Paper did not itself invite comments, the Government have since consulted higher education institutions and their representatives on various aspects of the new framework, as foreshadowed by the White Paper.