§ 70. Mr. HunterTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a further statement on the teaching of classics in schools.
§ Mrs. RumboldMy right hon. Friend attaches importance to the study of classics in schools. Its potential was illustrated in Her Majesty's inspectorate's recent publication "Classics from 5 to 16". Schools will still be able to offer classics outside the national curriculum in the early secondary years, as an option to fourth and fifth year pupils, and in the sixth form. We hope that parental and public demand will encourage such provision. In addition my right hon. Friend has asked the national curriculum working groups on English and history to consider t contribution of classical studies, as a cross-curricular theme, to the attainment targets and programmes of study for these subjects.