§ 23. Mr. JamiesonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps she has taken to address the decline in GCSE results in English and mathematics in the current year. [3893]
§ Mr. PaiceThe numbers achieving higher grade GCSEs in mathematics and English actually increased in 1995, consolidating the significant improvements in performance in recent years. But we cannot be complacent and there is still room for further improvement if we are to meet the demanding national targets. The new national curriculum at key stage 4 will be introduced from September 1996 and places greater emphasis on English and maths. That will help schools to help pupils achieve even better results in those core subjects.