§ Mr. Gordon Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list in the Official Report the names of those Scottish education authorities which operate school courses leading to presentation for the certificate of secondary education showing the number of schools involved in each of those authorities;
(2) if he will list in the Official Report the total number of schools in each education authority which are involved in presentation for the certificate of secondary education.
§ Mr. Alexander FletcherThe number of schools in each education authority expected to be involved in presentations for the certificate of secondary education in 1981 is shown in the following table:
Education Authority Number of schools Borders 3 Central 0 Dumfries and Galloway 6 Fife 0 Grampian 26 Highland 2 Lothian 43 Strathclyde 1 Tayside 0 Orkney 0 Shetland 1 Western Isles 7 Scotland 89
§ Mr. Gordon Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he anticipates being able to make an announcement of the possibility of introducing in Scotland a foundation-level course similar to the English CSE; what feasibility work so far has been undertaken in Scotland; and what consultations he has held with appropriate bodies representing educational interests in Scotland.
§ Mr. Alexander FletcherMy right hon. Friend announced the Government's policy towards the recommendations of the Munn and Dunning committees on 31 March 1980 in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Argyll (Mr. McKay). As he indicated in that reply, he will take a decision in summer 1983 on whether to implement new curriculum and assessment arrangements for the third and fourth years of Scottish secondary education, which would include the provision of courses at foundation level for pupils of lower ability.
Pilot work is at present being undertaken by Her Majesty's Inspectorate and education authorities in some 60 schools throughout Scotland into foundation level English, mathematics and science. My Department is encouraging education authorities to develop similar 356W courses, where appropriate, in schools outwith those engaged in the pilot work, using the course guidelines which it has recently published. Pilot work will commence in session 1981–82 on multi-disciplinary courses in the areas of contemporary society, social and vocational skills and health studies. Research projects related to the programme are under way and further projects are planned. Further details are given in "The Munn and Dunning Reports: The Government's Development Programme" and "Progress Report No. 1", copies of which have been placed in the Library.
After my right hon. Friend's announcement, I separately met the Consultative Committee on the Curriculum, the education committee of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the Scottish Certificate of Education Examination Board to discuss the Government's development programme. Each body agreed to play its part in the programme and has now established formal liaison arrangements with my Department to ensure co-ordination of the many strands of work involved.—[Vol.982, c. 25–27.]
§ Mr. Gordon Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the number of Scottish schoolchildren presented by each education authority for the certificate of secondary education in each of the past five years, indicating the success rate for each authority; and if he will give an estimate of the numbers he anticipates will be presented for the certificate of secondary education this year.
§ Mr. Alexander FletcherThis information is not available centrally.
§ Mr. Gordon Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total cost to each Scottish education authority, involved in certificate of education presentation, of payment to external moderators employed by the appropriate English regional examination boards for validation of certificate of secondary education examinations undertaken in Scotland.
§ Mr. Alexander FletcherThis information is not available centrally.