Mr. Jim Callaghanasked the Secretary or State for Education and Science if she remains satisfied with the teaching of mathematics and English subjects in schools.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonThe Green Paper "Education in Schools", published in July 1977, emphasised the importance which the Government attach to basic literacy and numeracy; and my Department's circular 14/77 subsequently asked local authorities to report on their arrangements for promoting English and mathematics within the school curriculum. Authorities' responses are at present being studied and a published summary of these will form the basis of further consultations within and outside the education service, which will have the need to maintain and, where possible, to improve standards in these important subject areas very much in mind. Arrangements are also in hand to set up an inquiry into the teaching of mathematics in primary and secondary schools.