§ 35. Mrs. Ann WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will make a statement on quality and the diversity of the curriculum in school education. [9452]
§ Mr. PaiceThe national curriculum aims to ensure that all pupils at maintained schools benefit from a broad and balanced curriculum. The Office for Standards in Education has confirmed that it is already proving to be a successful vehicle for raising standards in school education. The revised national curriculum, introduced in August 1995, removed overload and gave teachers in primary and secondary schools more time to use at their discretion. Diversity is further guaranteed by the ability to choose between different elements of programmes of study.
§ Mrs. Anne CampbellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans she has to consult on what changes are desired to the national curriculum during the moratorium period. [11131]
§ Mr. Robin SquireThe revised national curriculum was introduced into schools only last term and is intended to take them into the next century without further major change. The School Curriculum and Assessment Authority has already begun to monitor the revised national curriculum and will, in due course, consider the need for further revision.