Technology (Hansard, 4 December 1992)

§ Mr. Pawsey
To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to promote technology courses within the national curriculum in(a) city technology colleges and (b) other schools; and if he will make a statement.
398W

§ Mr. Forth
Under the national curriculum, the study of technology is now compulsory for all pupils in maintained schools aged between five and 14 (unless specifically excepted) and will become so for pupils aged between 14 and 16 from August 1993. It is for local authorities and individual schools to decide how best to support this study from within the £176 million of expenditure supported through the Department's grants for education support and training programme to assist with the implementation of the national curriculum.
City technology colleges have been established specifically to promote the teaching of mathematics, science and technology. Similarly, schools funded under the technology schools initiative are committed to promoting particularly their technology teaching and its vocational aspects. My right hon. Friend will be announcing a further tranche of funding under this initiative shortly.

§ Mr. Pawsey
To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list for each city technology college(a) the total number of pupils taking GCSE in technology, (b) the total number per grade obtained and (c) the percentage of pupils who participated in technology courses for the latest year figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Forth
The first pupils to have undertaken a full CTC secondary education will not take GCSE until 1993, and the majority not until 1995. There are therefore no GCSE results for CTC technology yet. All CTC pupils undertake technology courses.

§ Mr. Pawsey
To ask the Secretary of State for Education what percentage of pupils participate in technology courses in schools other than city technology colleges; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Forth
Under the national curriculum, the study of technology is compulsory for all pupils in maintained schools aged between five and 14 (unless specifically excepted) and will become so for pupils aged between 14 and 16 in August 1993. Information about the number of pupils aged between 14 and 16 following general courses in technology in the current academic year is not available centrally.