HC Deb 06 March 1991 vol 187 cc185-6W
Miss Emma Nicholson

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what assessment his Department has made of the degree to which changed requirements for accuracy of spelling and grammar in the 1991 examination syllabuses may act as a discouragement for some children.

Mr. Eggar

My right hon. and learned Friend's intention is to encourage pupils and teachers to pay greater attention to spelling. He sees no reason why this should discourage them from entering for GCSE examinations. The only significant group of pupils who might reasonably be discouraged are those suffering from dyslexia. My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State has therefore invited the three main dyslexia organisations to suggest what concessions might fairly be adopted to enable dyslexic candidates to compete on an equal basis with their peers when the change is introduced.

Miss Emma Nicholson

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what consultations took place between his Department and(a) the examination boards and (b) local education authorities concerning the policy of setting aside a proportion of examination grading for spelling and grammar before this policy was introduced.

Mr. Eggar

We have not considered it necessary, in view of the widespread public concern, to conduct formal consultations on the desirability of using GCSE examinations to improve spelling standards. The School Examinations and Assessment Council has, however, consulted the GCSE examining groups on the various policy options for effecting change in this area and is currently consulting the groups on the specific proposal, subsequently put to them by my right hon. and learned Friend, that up to 5 per cent. of marks should be deducted for poor spelling. The local education authorities have not been specifically consulted.

Miss Emma Nicholson

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what research his Department proposes to undertake or commission into fundamental causes of spelling difficulties in children.

Mr. Eggar

The Department is supporting a £250,000, three-year research project to study the problems of dyslexic children and how schools can tackle them, based at the Harris city technology college in Croydon. There are no immediate plans to commission research into causes of spelling difficulties unrelated to dyslexia. Teachers already have expertise in using a range of techniques for tackling spelling difficulties.

Miss Emma Nicholson

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations his Department has received concerning the timing, relative to the 1991 examination cycle, of the introduction of the policy to set aside a proportion of examination grades for spelling and grammar from(a) parents, (b) examination boards and (c) local education authorities; and what response he has made.

Mr. Eggar

My right hon. and learned Friend and I have received about 250 representations, concerned primarily with the timing of the introduction of this policy, from parents and pupils. None has been received from examination boards or local education authorities. We have responded by saying that we see no unfairness in introducing this change at an early date since what is proposed does not differ greatly from what the groups do at the moment, and examination candidates can hardly be unaware that they need to spell correctly in their GCSEs, just as they need to write legibly and present their work well generally.