§ Mr. BarkerTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what information she has collated on how many school exchanges there have been between United Kingdom and Russian schools(a) in the current year and (b) since 1991. [14728]
§ Margaret HodgeInformation of this type is not collated centrally. School exchanges can be arranged by a wide range of organisations, such as individual schools, local education authorities, Government funded organisations, educational trusts etc. Accurate statistics could only be obtained from the schools themselves. This would involve disproportionate costs and an unnecessary additional burden on school administration.
I can say, though, that I know from Department for Education and Skills funding of organisations such as the British Council that there is on-going activity between UK schools and those in Russia, both through exchange visits and, increasingly, Information and Communications Technology projects. We expect and will encourage this activity to continue to develop and grow.