§ Dr. KumarTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the pilot nature of the proposed key state 3 testing; and whether he intends to publish the results of this pilot testing.
§ Mr. EggarA national pilot of mathematics and science examinations will be held in June 1992. I strongly encourage all schools to take part in this as the best possible preparation for the first compulsory examinations in 1993. I intend to publish national analyses of the results, and I expect schools to report the results of individual pupils to their parents.
§ Dr. KumarTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he envisages any role for local education authorities in key stage 3 testing.
§ Mr. EggarLEAs have a general duty to secure the successful implementation of the national curriculum and its testing arrangements in the schools they maintain. In particular, the Government are supporting £45 million worth of LEA expenditure on national curriculum testing for 1992–93 through grants for education support and training. LEAs are specifically encouraged to direct some of that funding towards preparing teachers for testing 14-year-olds.