§ Baroness Blatchasked the Secretary of State for Education and Skills:
What recent representations they have received from the Field Studies Council about the inclusion of fieldwork in the GSCE and A-level curricula; and what response they have made to any such representations; and [HL4007]
What provision is made for fieldwork within the curricula for (a) science GCSE and (b) biology A level; and whether in each case that provision is optional or compulsory; and [HL4008]
52WAWhether the proposed National and Regional Centres for Excellence in Science Teaching will be required to provide in service training opportunities to enable practising teachers to develop their skills in out of classroom teaching in biology and other science disciplines. [HL4010]
§ Baroness Ashton of UphollandAt each key stage, pupils are taught about life processes and living things, and to use first-hand experience and varying information sources to assist with scientific investigation. The science curriculum emphasises the need to learn about living things in their environment. At both GCSE and A-level, the use of fieldwork in the delivery of the curriculum is encouraged but not compulsory as it is for each school or college to decide how best to teach its students.
A number of letters have been received by Ministers in the department from the members of the executive committee of the Field Studies Council in recent months, particularly following the publication of its joint report with the British Ecological Society Teaching Biology outside the classroom. Is it heading for extinction? The responses point out that at both GCSE and A-level, the use of fieldwork in the delivery of the curriculum is encouraged but not compulsory as it is for each school or college to decide how best to teach its students.
Our major initiative "Growing Schools" is a project to develop and disseminate best practice in the use of the outdoor classroom in a number of curriculum subjects, and in particular biology and geography. I am pleased to say that Tony Thomas, Chief Executive of the Field Studies Council, has therefore kindly agreed to sit on the Advisory Group for "Growing Schools".
Our £51 million partnership with the Wellcome Trust to establish a network of science learning centres will provide continuing professional development for primary science coordinators and secondary science teachers and technicians. We anticipate that, over time, the centres will help teachers to develop their skills in out of classroom teaching.