HC Deb 06 May 1986 vol 97 cc38-9W
12. Mr. Geraint Howells

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what progress his Department has made in discussions with the teacher unions relating to the viability of his timetable for the introduction of the general certificate of secondary education examination.

Mr. Chris Patten

My right hon. Friend has expressed to all the teachers' associations his willingness to receive any further and detailed comments they may have about the preparation for and funding of the introduction of the GCSE. The Department stands ready to consider these matters further.

26. Mr. Sean Hughes

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a further statement on progress with the implementation of the general certificate of seconday education examination.

Mr. Chris Patten

I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Romsey and Waterside (Mr. Colvin).

34. Mr. Flannery

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many representations he has received asking for the new general certificate of secondary education examination to be delayed; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Chris Patten

Since the beginning of the year, the Department has received some 1,200 letters from various bodies and individuals requesting that the GCSE be delayed. The measures announced by my right hon. Friend on 13 March are designed to ensure the successful completion of the training programme and to allow authorities to fund a real increase in books and equipment for the GCSE and thus meet the real concerns expressed by those who have made representations.

Mr. Ron Davies

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received concerning his decision to continue with the implementation of the new general certificate of secondary education examination.

Mr. Chris Patten

I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Hillsborough (Mr. Flannery).

Mr. Madel

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the total amount of extra expenditure so far incurred in preparation for the general certificate of secondary education examination; and what is his estimate of the amount of extra expenditure which will be required for this examination in the next three years.

Mr. Chris Patten

The Department is making a substantial contribution towards the cost of the special programme of in-service training for the introduction of the GCSE: it is supporting £8 million expenditure on supplying cover for teachers attending training seminars; and has given over £1 million to the Secondary Examinations Council and GCSE examining groups towards the cost of providing introductory training. The Government will also be giving £600,000 to the GCSE examining groups to assist with the provision of further syllabus-specific training from September onwards.

It is genuinely difficult for the Department or the local education authorities to quantify the costs of introducing GCSE. In response to representations by local education authorities and many others for more help with resources, my right hon. Friend has proposed supporting £20 million of expenditure by education support grant to help secondary schools purchase necessary additional books and equipment. This amount is in addition to the resources which local authorities may otherwise allocate for the GCSE. The Government's expenditure plans for 1986–87 provide scope for authorities to redeploy their resources towards policies to which they wish to give priority, such as the GCSE. When considering the level of local authority expenditure on education in 1987–88, the Government will take account of the representations of the local authority associations and teachers' associations on the resource implications of GCSE.

Mr. Andrew F. Bennett

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the latest progress of his discussions with teachers' unions about the general certificate of secondary education examination.

Mr. Chris Patten

My right hon. Friend met representatives of the National Union of Teachers on 16 April to discuss the planning and preparations for the introduction of the GCSE. He will be having discussions with representatives of the National Association of Head Teachers today on the same topic and expects to have further discussions with the NUT later this month. My right hon. Friend and I have said that we stand ready to discuss these important issues with any or all of the teachers' associations. We hope that all concerned will work together to ensure that the introduction of the GCSE this autumn is the success that it deserves to be.