§ Jackie BallardTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will develop a statutory framework for school councils in both primary and secondary schools. [152281]
§ Ms Estelle MorrisThe Citizenship programme of study, which will become statutory for secondary schools in September 2002, encourages active participation of young people in the democratic life of their school and the wider community. School councils and class councils provide excellent opportunities to fulfil this aim, although within the flexible Citizenship programme, it will be open to schools to decide whether to have a school council.
434WTo support the schools that decide to introduce a school or class council, the Department has funded School Councils UK to produce a primary schools toolkit, and develop resources for secondary schools to enable teachers and pupils to set up effective structures for pupil participation. The primary toolkit was made available to schools last September and the secondary resource will be made available to schools this summer.