HC Deb 10 February 1994 vol 237 cc435-6W
Mr. Dafis

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many county councils wrote to the Curriculum Council for Wales during its review of the national curriculum and assessment in Wales, expressing the view that the teaching of Welsh as a foundation subject of key stage 4 should not remain part of the national curriculum;

(2) how many secondary schools in Wales wrote to the Curriculum Council for Wales expressing an opinion against including the Welsh language as a foundation subject at key stage 4 as part of the national curriculum; and how many of those schools had already been the subject of a deferment order regarding the teaching of Welsh at key stage three or four;

(3) how many secondary schools reported to the Curriculum Council for Wales or his Office that they had encountered difficulties recruiting an adequate number of teachers qualified to teach the Welsh language in their response to the review of the curriculum and assessment in Wales.

Sir Wyn Roberts

The Curriculum Council for Wales conducted extensive consultations on changes to the national curriculum at key stage 4 as part of the review of the national curriculum and assessment which I commissioned last year. The consultations included conferences and the invitation to submit written representations. In its final report which it submitted to me in December, the council summarised the views expressed during this consultation exercise, and made recommendations in the light of them. Copies of the report have been sent to all Welsh Members of the House and further copies are available in the Library of the House.

Details of the conduct of the consultations are described in the report. Individual responses to the council cannot be made available for public inspection as individuals who wrote to the council are entitled to consider that their submissions have been made in confidence.

In response to the review I have received two reports from secondary schools about the recruitment of teachers qualified to teach Welsh.

Mr. Dafis

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what date the Welsh Language Board was first consulted regarding impending changes to the national curriculum in Wales.

Sir Wyn Roberts

There were no formal consultations with the Welsh Language Board on changes to the national curriculum in Wales since the review by the Curriculum Council for Wales and Sir Ron Dearing was conducted prior to the establishment of the board on 21 December 1993.

Mr. Dafis

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many schools requested exemption, as opposed to deferment, of the requirement to provide Welsh in the national curriculum at key stage 3 or 4 in response to the invitation in his consultation document issued on 7 May 1991.

Sir Wyn Roberts

Schools were not directly invited to respond to this consultation exercise which was carried out under the terms of section 21 of the Education Reform Act 1988. However, copies of the consultation document were sent for school governors to information. In response, 17 schools made direct representations to the Welsh Office.

Of these, 16 requested exemption from the national curriculum requirements for Welsh at key stages 4 and 2 also requested exemption from the key stage 3 requirements. One school also sought deferment of the key stage 3 requirements.

Mr. Dafis

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will consult with the Welsh Language Board on the implications of the Welsh Language Act 1993 for treating Welsh and English on a basis of equality in the national curriculum.

Sir Wyn Roberts

The Welsh Language Board is responsible for taking a broad overview of Welsh medium and Welsh second-language education. The Government and the new Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales will be consulting the language board regularly on Welsh language issues which impact on the national curriculum.

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