§ Mr. ClappisonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what content has been removed from the course of study required for mathematics at(a) GCSE level and (b) A level under each examination board since 2001. [189355]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeNo content has been removed from the programme of study for maths at GCSE. Following a consultation with maths subject associations and schools, in autumn 2002, there was 1805W some alteration to the GCE criteria for the AS Level. Some of the larger topics were moved to A2 (the second year of study for A level) because the consultation revealed that the AS Level was overloaded with content. Maths at AS Level and at A Level remains a rigorous and challenging subject. The changes have been widely welcomed by the maths community.