§ 36. Mr. Brian David JenkinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans she has to address the gap between the achievements of girls and boys at school. [7090]
§ Mr. Robin SquireThe Government's policies are intended to raise standards for all pupils, and are doing so. The improvement of girls has been even more rapid242W than for boys at certain ages. While this rapid improvement is very welcome, Her Majesty's chief inspector has drawn attention to the low attainment of some boys, especially at key stages 3 and 4. It is primarily for schools to address gaps in performance of different groups of pupils. In setting its annual performance targets, each school should consider how best to develop the potential of every category of pupil.