§ Mr. BeggsTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what further steps he proposes to take to raise the examination achievement level of boys attending secondary schools. [21304]
§ Mr. AncramI have set in place a number of initiatives to tackle low achievement in all Northern Ireland schools, including the raising schools' standards initiative, the "Making a Good Start" initiative, which provides additional classroom assistance in year 1, and targeting social need, which targets resources through local management of schools formulae. These will impact on low achievement wherever it occurs, including on boys' achievements.