§ The Earl of Clancartyasked Her Majesty's Government:
In view of the delay in the publication of the National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education report All our Futures: Creativity, Culture and Education, whether they will extend the deadline for response to the review of the national curriculum from 23 July 1999 to the autumn to allow for a wider public debate; and [HL3835]
Whether the National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education report All our Futures: Creativity, Culture and Education has been sent out to schools, and if not, when schools will receive this document so that responses can be made to the review of the national curriculum; and [HL3865]
How they intend to resolve the differences between the recommendations of the National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education report All our Futures: Creativity, Culture and Education 212WA and the substance of the review of the national curriculum consultation document regarding the importance of arts and humanities education within the national curriculum; and [HL3866]
Whether they will incorporate the recommendations of the National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education report All our Futures: Creativity, Culture and Education into the national curriculum. [HL3867]
§ The Minister of State, Department for Education and Employment (Baroness Blackstone)The consultation on the national curriculum review ended on 23 July and cannot be extended. The National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education report was published on 14 May and from that date was available to the public and all schools via the internet. This allowed ample time for both documents to be considered and comments submitted within the consultation period. Over 6,000 copies of the committee's report have been sent out in this period.
The committee's recommendations on the curriculum have already informed proposals for the revised curriculum for 2000. In his introduction to the proposals, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State said that a strength of our education system is its ability to develop creativity. Literacy, numeracy and key skills are the foundation on which our ability to exploit creativity is based. Effective teaching of other subjects is also vital to the development of well-rounded individuals. Each subject makes a distinctive contribution to pupils' learning and development; for example, music and art are important for the cultural and spiritual development of young people. For this reason the requirement for primary schools to follow the full programmes of study and for all non-core subjects will be reinstated from September 2000.