§ Mr. Pawseyasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether the Government intend to retain GCE A-levels; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth BakerThe Government are firmly committed to retaining A-levels and to strengthening them where possible. To this end, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I have invited Dr. Gordon Higginson, vice-chancellor of the university of Southampton, to chair a small independent committee with the following terms of reference.
In the light of the Government's commitment to retain general certificate of education advanced level examinations as an essential means for setting standards of excellence, and with the aim of maintaining or improving the present character and rigorous standards of these examinations:
- —to recommend the principles that should govern GCE A-level syllabuses and their assessment, so that consistency in the essential content and the assessment of subjects is secured:
- —to set out a plan of action for the subsequent detailed professional work required to give effect to these recommendations."
242W
'Elsewhere' Rate of Grant (£) Real value in percentage terms (September 1962 = 100) deflated by increases in— London Rate of Grant (£) Real value in percentage terms (September 1962 =100) deflated by increases in— (a) Retail Prices (b) Average Earnings (c) Rents (d) Book Prices (a) Retail Prices (b) Average Earnings (c) Rents (d) Book Prices 1962–63 320 100 100 100 100 330 100 100 100 100 1963–64 320 98 93 95 96 330 98 93 95 96 1964–65 320 94 86 91 92 330 94 86 91 92 1965–66 340 95 86 91 92 370 101 90 96 97 1966–67 340 92 80 86 89 370 97 85 91 94 1967–68 340 91 78 79 82 370 96 82 84 87 1968–69 360 91 76 81 82 395 97 81 86 87 1969–70 360 86 71 76 77 395 92 75 80 82 1970–71 380 85 66 74 75 420 91 71 79 80 1971–72 430 88 67 77 74 465 92 71 81 77 1972–73 445 85 62 71 71 480 88 65 74 75 1973–74 485 85 59 71 71 520 88 61 73 74 1974–75 605 90 62 83 69 665 96 66 89 74 1975–76 740 87 60 89 71 810 92 63 95 75 1976–77 875 90 62 91 72 955 95 65 97 77 1977–78 1,010 90 66 95 69 1,145 99 73 104 76 1978–79 1,100 91 63 94 69 1,315 105 73 109 80 1979–80 1,245 88 62 92 67 1,485 102 71 106 78 1980–81 1,430 88 58 81 65 1,695 101 67 93 75 1981–82 1,535 84 56 69 62 1,825 97 64 80 71 1982–83 1,595 82 53 66 55 1,900 94 62 77 64 1983–84 1,660 81 51 65 48 1,975 93 59 75 56 1984–85 1,775 83 52 65 47 2,100 95 60 75 53 1985–86 1,830 80 149 63 43 2,165 92 156 72 50 1986–87 1,901 81 47 64 43 2,246 93 54 74 50 2 Adjusted 1984–85 80 50 63 45 92 58 73 52 1985–86 77 147 61 42 89 155 70 48 1986–87 78 46 61 42 90 53 71 48 The members of the committee are
Miss Sonia Beesley. Journalist and broadcaster.
Sir Roy Harding CBE. Former chief education officer of Buckinghamshire and former vice-chairman of the Secondary Examinations Council.
Mr. Graham Leech. Head of Range high school, Formby.
Mr. Mark Nicolson. Manager, Barclays Bank plc and chairman of the CBI under-35s group.
The committee will start work very shortly and has been asked to report by Easter 1988.