§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much money he is allocating to schools in the Wolverhampton area over the next five years to enable them to buy or use computer facilities.
§ Mr. Mark CarlisleThe allocation of money to schools in Wolverhampton is a matter for the Wolverhampton local education authority.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how 384W many schools in the Wolverhampton area have computer facilities; what percentage this represents of the total number of schools; how many schools in this area will have computer facilities by 1984; and what percentage this will be of the total.
§ Dr. BoysonMy Department does not normally collect information of this kind. The provision of computer facilities for schools is a matter for individual local authorities and the schools themselves.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many teachers are currently teaching computer studies in Wolverhampton area secondary schools; and how many he estimates will be doing so in five years' time.
§ Dr. BoysonThe Department does not routinely hold information of this sort. However, I am informed that there are currently 14 teachers of computer studies in Wolverhampton schools and that a significant number of the 22 secondary schools in the area have micro-computers and plan to run courses. Students from those that have not will be encouraged to attend link courses at local FE colleges. I am not able to predict the numbers in five years' time, which will depend on decisions still to be taken by the authority.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many pupils in the Wolverhampton area sat O-level or CSE examinations in computer studies in 1978; and what percentage of the current secondary school population in this area is currently studying this subject.
§ Dr. BoysonI regret that this information is not available.