HC Deb 25 October 1999 vol 336 c746W
Mr. Boswell

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many students will be recruited as student mentors; what will be their terms and conditions of employment; if it will be subject to the consent of the higher education institutions in which they are enrolled; and if such appointments will be subject to competitive selection procedures, prior or in-course training and independent evaluation of performance. [94947]

Ms Estelle Morris

A pilot project of student mentoring is to be trialled in secondary schools in a number of Education Action Zones. About 600 students from six volunteer universities will be working as mentors, contracted on an annual basis to provide up to 120 hours of mentoring per year. They will be supervised and supported by their universities. There will be a rigorous selection process for mentors, including one-to-one interviews and accredited training. The project will be subject to independent evaluation.