§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Prime Minister if she will list the responsibilities of the Secretary of State for Education and Science in relation to the curriculum in schools and local authority colleges of further education and the responsibilities in this matter of any other Minister or public body.
§ The Prime MinisterMy right hon. Friend's responsibilities derive from the Education Act 1944, as amended, and extend only to England. In the case of the schools, the balance of responsibilities in relation to the curriculum between the partners in the education service is described in paragraphs 7 to 10 of the Government's paper "The School Curriculum", which was published in March 1981.
In the case of non-advanced further education, the principal responsibility rests on the local education authorities and the colleges themselves, but my right hon. Friend appoints the members of the board, and finances the work, of the further education curriculum review and development unit.
A large number of other bodies have a role to play, according to the functions given to them. In addition to the educational institutions themselves, they include, among others, the local education authorities, the governing bodies of county and voluntary schools and of colleges of further education, the examining and validating institutions, the Department of Industry and the Manpower Services Commission. There is close collaboration between the Government Departments concerned.
Responsibility for schools and further education in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland rests with my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland respectively.