HC Deb 25 July 1989 vol 157 cc584-5W
Mr. Thurnham

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many hours the subjects of personal and social education will occupy in the national curriculum; and what will be the format for teaching these studies;

(2) how many hours the subject of alcohol education is to occupy in the national curriculum.

Mrs. Rumbold

Under section 4(3) of the Education Reform Act, national curriculum orders may not prescribe the time to he allocated to teaching any subject or topic. How the different programmes of study are taught will be a matter for each school to determine.

Mr. Thurnham

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what recommendations he intends to make on alcohol education in the draft orders to be laid before Parliament on that subject;

(2) when the draft orders on the study and attainment targets for alcohol education to be contained in the national curriculum will be laid before Parliament.

Mrs. Rumbold

The order for science education within the national curriculum was laid before Parliament in March 1989. This includes attainment targets and programmes of study concerning the effects of alcohol on the way in which the human body functions.