HC Deb 28 March 1985 vol 76 cc291-2W
Mr. Pawsey

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list his Department's principal achievements since 1979.

Sir Keith Joseph

The over-riding objectives have been to raise standards at school of children of all abilities and to achieve better value for money throughout the education system. Since 1979 the proportion of children commencing education before the age of 5 has increased an the proportion staying on beyond 16 has also increased. Pupil-teacher ratios in primary and secondary schools have improved as have achievements in school at A level. Spending per pupil has increased in real terms an now stands at record levels.

The Government's principal achievements in respect to the schools are set out in the White Paper "Better Schools" (Cmnd. 9469) published on 26 March 1985.

In other parts of the education system the Government has prompted improvements in performance by:

In further education Setting out and implementing important decisions for vocational education in the White Paper "Training for Jobs"; The formation of the Business and Technician Education Council with an important role in the preparation of skilled manpower; Introducing the new Certificate of Pre-Vocational Education (CPVE) as an additional option in the range of courses preparing young people for the world of work, and available in both schools and colleges; The establishment of a scheme of in-service training grants for further education lecturers; The establishment of College-Employer Links Project (CELP) in eight LEAs, aimed at increasing colleges' responsiveness to employers needs and the awareness of the latter of college facilities; Expanding the work of the further education unit, giving it new status and developing the presentation of its reports.

In adult and continuing education Launching a programme (PICKUP) to promote provision of updating and broadening the skills of those in mid-career; Establishing over 100 Local Collaborative Projects in which educational institutions and firms work in partnership to offer adult training and updating—a joint venture between PICKUP and the MSC within the Government's Adult Training Campaign; Initiating a programme (REPLAN) for meeting more effectively the educational needs of unemployed adults; Promoting the establishment of a national unit for the development of continuing education.

In higher education Initiating a major debate, in consultation with others, on national higher education strategy into the 1990s; The admission to higher education of record number of students; Initiating a wide-ranging review of financial support for students in higher education; Establishing the Educational Counselling and Credit Transfer Information Service (ECCTIS) in a pilot region; and (more recently) supporting the developments of a computer-aided careers guidance system for graduates; Establishing the new National Advisory Body for Public Sector Higher Education and endorsing its plan for the continuation of the significant shift towards science and engineering and other vocational subjects, and for the more efficient use of constrained resources generally; Providing resources for specific initiatives in engineering and technology, and particularly information technology; for "new blood" in the universities; and for the enhancement of equipment in selected centres of high quality research in the universities; Appointing a Committee of Enquiry (under Sir Norman Lindop) to review academic validation procedures in the public sector of higher education; Providing support for a programme of efficiency studies in the universities.

Generally in education Publishing reports by Her Majesty's Inspectorate and introducing arrangements for more systematic follow-up action, and publishing the annual HMI Report on the effects of LEA expenditure policies; The provision of grant of up to £30 million of expenditure in 1985–86 on selected activities of national education importance, as provided for under the Education (Grants and Awards) Act 1984; Introducing new arrangements for decision-making and management within the Department, aimed at greater efficiency and value for money.

In science Maintaining a level of funding for the Science Vote which has broadly kept up with general inflation; Making available additional resources to help re-equip the best university research teams to the highest standards; Making available additional funding to the Science Vote for the British Antarctic Survey; for top quality university research proposals; and for restructuring programmes designed to change the balance of the Research Councils' activities better to reflect current priorities and financial circumstances; Initiating a substantial programme for research and training in information technology; Initiating through the Advisory Board for the Research Councils and in consultation with the Science and Engineering Research Council a major review of United Kingdom involvement in high energy particle physics; Encouraging the Research Councils to publish Corporate Plans which embody strategy reviews of their respective programmes.