§ Mr. McNultyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans there are to review the present use of performance league tables so as to address the issues of(a) utilising value added data and (b) the inclusion of absent and statemented pupils; and if he will make a statement. [5354]
§ Ms Estelle MorrisWe are committed to the principle of publishing measures of value added alongside information on school performance. It is important that such measures are statistically valid, do not place an undue administrative burden on schools, and can be readily understood by parents. We have asked the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority to undertake feasibility studies into such measures and then to consult widely with schools, with a view to publication in 1998.
The treatment of absent and statemented pupils in primary performance tables is under review. We expect to announce our final decisions in the autumn on the arrangements for the publication of these tables by local education authorities.