§ 34. Ms Dari TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what targets for numeracy and literacy the Government will set for the next school year. [906]
§ Mr. TimmsWe remain committed to the 2002 targets we set in 1997 of 80 per cent. of 11-year-olds achieving the expected standard in literacy and 75 per cent. in numeracy at Key Stage 2. The literacy and numeracy strategies are clearly raising standards in primary schools. Since 1998 there has been a 10 per cent. point improvement in the English results from 65 per cent. to 75 per cent., and in mathematics a 13 per cent. point improvement from 59 per cent. to 72 per cent.