§ Dr. KumarTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action he is taking with the Home Office's Active Community Unit to increase volunteering in schools; and if he will make a statement. [137544]
§ Mr. Stephen TwiggThe Department is working closely with the Home Office's Active Community Unit (ACU) to ensure that volunteering by young people contributes to the Government's overall drive to increase community participation. One important element of the new Citizenship curriculum in schools is the involvement of pupils in the life and concerns of their neighbourhood and communities, including learning through community involvement and service. Since September 2002, we have been funding Active Citizens in Schools (ACiS)—a pilot which builds on aspect of Millennium Volunteers to encourage 11–15 year olds to
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Maintained primary and secondary schools: number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals by ethnic group1 January 2003, England Pupils of compulsory school age and above Maintained Primary2 Maintained Secondary2 Number of pupils known to be eligible for
free school meals
3Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for
free schools meals
4Number of pupils known to be eligible for
free school meals
3Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for
free school meals
4White 444,762 15.6 337,313 12.3 White British 421,503 15.3 321,182 12.1 Irish 2,962 22.2 2,448 18.5 Traveller of Irish heritage 1,684 64.5 520 44.9 Any other White background 16,263 22.8 12,416 19.5 Gypsy/Roma 2,350 54.2 747 48.1 Mixed 29,393 28.2 15,988 48.1 White and Black Caribbean 13,099 35.3 7,163 30.5 White and Black African 2,887 30.1 1,398 26.0 White and Asian 4,186 20.3 2,108 16.7 Any other mixed background 9,221 25.1 5,319 22.9 make a commitment to volunteering in line with the citizenship curriculum and encourage them to become Millennium Volunteers when they reach the age of 16.