§ Mr. TyrieTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much time is spent in primary schools in Year 6 on core subjects as a proportion of all teaching; and what the proportion was in May 1997. [158536]
§ Ms Estelle MorrisThe average percentage of Year 6 teaching time currently spent on the core subjects is 60 per cent. (27 per cent. for English, 22 per cent. for mathematics and 11 per cent. for science). This compares with an average of 53 per cent. (22 per cent. for English, 19 per cent. for mathematics and 12 per cent. for science) in 1996–97.
We welcome the fact that primary schools are now spending more time teaching English and mathematics, where standards were unacceptably low in 1997. Since 1997, we have introduced the daily Literacy Hour and mathematics lesson, which have improved the quality of teaching and raised standards of achievement, not only in English and mathematics but also in science and the foundation subjects of the National Curriculum, which schools are required to teach.