HC Deb 02 March 2004 vol 418 cc888-9W
Ms Walley

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what his Department's policy is on teaching business and entrepreneurial skills to primary school children; and if he will make a statement; [155587]

(2) what funding his Department is giving to (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in (i) Staffordshire and (ii) Stoke-on-Trent to improve the business skills of school pupils; and if he will make a statement; [155588]

(3) what his Department's funding for business and entrepreneurial skills has been for each of the last 10 years in (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools; and if he will make a statement; [155589]

(4) what his Department's budget is in 2003–04 for the funding of business skills education in primary education; and if he will make a statement; [155590]

(5) what his Department's future programmes are for improving business and entrepreneurial skills in (a) primary school children and (b) secondary school children; and if he will make a statement. [155592]

Mr. Stephen Twigg

Business and enterprise are covered within the Citizenship curriculum, which is compulsory in secondary schools. For example, 14 to 16-year-old pupils are taught about how the economy functions, including the role of business and financial services.

The non-statutory framework for Personal, Social and Health Education, provides for personal finance education to be taught in both primary and secondary schools, allowing teachers to cover the wide range of topics as set out in the Department's "Financial Capability through Personal Financial Education" guidance for schools. This helps to provide children with the skills they need to move into adulthood, confident in their ability to deal effectively with a range of financial decisions. We do not disaggregate the funding schools spend on different elements of curriculum subjects.

From 2005/06 a new £60 million Enterprise Education entitlement will provide all Key Stage 4 pupils with the equivalent of five days enterprise activity which will develop enterprise capability—including personal financial capability as well as business understanding. 151 Pathfinder projects began in nearly 400 secondary schools in September 2003. They will help DfES to develop additional guidance including case studies and lesson plans. Fair Oak High School, Walton High School in Staffordshire and Blurton High School in Stoke-on-Trent, are Enterprise Pathfinder schools, receiving some £34,000 between them in the financial year 2003–04.