§ Sir David MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has as to the average numbers of hours per year spent in school by schoolchildren in(a) England and Wales and (b) other European Community countries.
§ Mrs. RumboldRecent school staffing surveys in England indicate that pupils in primary schools spend on average some 860 hours in lessons (excluding registration, assemblies and break time) a year. The comparable figure for secondary pupils is some 900 hours. Figures for Wales are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales. European comparisons are not readily available.
§ Sir David MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has as to the numbers of hours of classroom teaching per year spent by teachers in(a) England and Wales and (b) other European Community countries.
§ Mrs. RumboldOn the basis of information from recent school staffing surveys, we estimate that primary teachers spend on average some 790 hours a year in classroom teaching. The comparable figure for secondary teachers is some 680 hours. These figures exclude time spent in registration, assemblies and supervision. Figures for Wales are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales. European comparisons are not readily available.