§ Mrs. Bridget PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what studies her Department has made in conjunction with the National Council for Educational Technology of the possible benefits to secondary schools of electronic registration schemes; [5868]
(2) what is her Department's policy on evaluating the potential of information technology as a means for monitoring pupil attendance; [5869]
(3) what estimate she has made of the amount of teaching time which could be saved in the secondary school timetable by electronic registration systems. [5871]
§ Mr. ForthInformation technology can play an important part in helping some schools develop more effective means of monitoring attendance patterns, and thereby underpin measures to improve attendance rates. We have encouraged experimentation with school attendance applications of IT through the truancy, disruptive and disaffected pupils component of the grants for education support and training programme. An independent evaluation of this programme found that, if properly introduced, electronic registration systems could help schools to improve the consistency and reliability of attendance information. Further advice and information is available to schools and local education authorities from the National Council for Educational Technology.