HC Deb 03 November 2003 vol 412 cc455-7W
Mrs. Gillan

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what assessment he has made of the implications of access to field work in schools for the promotion of environmental awareness; and whether the provision for field work within the national curriculum will ensure that enough employees with adequate skills are available to bodies who carry out environmental impact assessments; [135904]

(2) what assessment he has made of whether the encouragement of fieldwork as a teaching method is adequately supported by teacher training courses; [135905]

(3) what assessment he has made of the Growing Schools Initiative as a sufficient alternative to a formal requirement for out of classroom activity for the (a) science GCSE and (b) biology A-level curricula; [135906]

(4) whether his Green Action Plan for Education will specify the need for out of class room activity as part of the national curriculum for appropriate subjects. [135907]

Mr. Miliband

No assessment has been made of the implications of access to fieldwork in schools for the promotion of environmental awareness. It is important to note, however, that there are requirements for Education for Sustainable Development both in Geography and in Science, including science GCSE and AS/A Level qualifications.

Although the National Curriculum is not designed to provide vocational training, under the proposed 14-19 reforms set out in the Green Paper 'Excellence and Opportunity', young people would have greater flexibility in selecting their options, and may choose to pursue courses which cover environmental impacts.

No assessment has been made of whether the encouragement of fieldwork as a teaching method is adequately supported by teacher training courses. However, under the standards for qualified teacher status and requirements for initial teacher training, teacher trainers use non-school settings such as fieldwork, visits to museums and other off-site locations. All newly qualified teachers are now required to be able to plan opportunities for pupils to learn in out-of-school contexts. Teacher training providers can also take trainees' prior achievement into account. This means, for example, that a trainee teacher who has previously worked in a fieldwork centre can have this experience taken into account when their training needs are assessed.

In addition to this, we anticipate that, over time, our new Science Learning Centres, the preferred suppliers for six of which along with a national centre were recently announced, will help science teachers and technicians to develop their skills in out of the classroom teaching.

No assessment has been made of the Growing Schools Programme providing an alternative to out of classroom activity for Science GCSE or 'A' level biology because it is not an alternative. Growing Schools supports teachers in using the outdoors for teaching subjects across the curriculum for pupils of all ages, including in Science GCSE and Biology A level.

The Department's Sustainable Action Plan for Education and Skills does not specify the need for out of classroom activity as part of the National Curriculum. However the Geography programmes of study at Key Stages 1, 2 and 3 do specify the requirement for all pupils to carry out fieldwork investigations outside the classroom.