HC Deb 19 April 2004 vol 420 cc37-9W
Mr. Davidson

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the extent to which educational standards in(a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern

Issue 1997 2003
Primary
Percentage of 11-year-olds achieving level 4 or above in English 63 75
Percentage of 11-year-olds achieving level 5 or above in English 16 27
Percentage of 11-year-olds achieving level 4 or above in maths 62 73
Percentage of 11-year-olds achieving level 5 or above in maths 18 29
KS3
Percentage of 14-year-olds achieving level 5 or above in English 57 69
Percentage of 14-year-olds achieving level 5 or above in maths 60 71
Percentage of 14-year-olds achieving level 5 or above in ICT 50 67
Percentage of l4-year-olds achieving level 5 or above in science 60 68
GCSE
Percentage of 16-year-olds who get qualifications equivalent to five GCSEs at grade A* to C 45.1 52.9
Number of schools not achieving at least 20 per cent. of pupils who get qualifications equivalent to five GCSEs at grade A* to C 361 114

This overview of improving standards across the board is confirmed by the recently published Annual Report of Her Majesty's Chief' Inspector of Schools which commented that over the past ten years, standards have undoubtedly risen in primary and secondary schools, as has the quality of teaching and leadership and management.

contributions, for example from LEAs, is not held centrally.

Ireland have changed since 1997; how he reached his conclusion; and if he will make a statement. 1164967]

Mr. Stephen Twigg

On the basis of measuring standards in schools in England against our PSA targets for the years 1997 and 2003 we can draw the following comparison:

Furthermore my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in his Budget statement on 17 March 2004 that UK education spending which was just 4.7 per cent. of GDP in 1997 will rise to 5.6 per cent. in 2007–8—from one of the lowest in the industrialised world to amongst the best.

Further education

As a result of the strategies we have introduced, the success rate for further education colleges has improved from 53 per cent. in 1997/98 to 65 per cent. in 2001/02.

Devolved Administrations

Standards in education in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are not the responsibility of the Department of Education and Skills. I therefore refer my hon. Friend to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for responses to parts (b), (c) and (d) of his question.