CONSERVATIVE
New Forest East

EDUCATION – TEACHING METHODS & STANDARDS - 29 April 1999

EDUCATION – TEACHING METHODS & STANDARDS - 29 April 1999

Dr Julian Lewis: If he will make a statement about the inclusion of information about (a) average class sizes and (b) money spent per pupil in future published tables of test results at ages 11 and 14; and if he will publish such results and information for tests at age seven?

[SUPPLEMENTARY:] May I reassure the Secretary of State that, like all my questions, this one comes from the mainstream of the Conservative party? Does he accept that there are three main probable causes of the inadequacy of primary school pupils turned out into secondary education – first, the inadequate sums being spent; secondly, there are too many children per class; and, thirdly, rotten teaching methods? Does he accept that, until we publish data on class sizes and amounts spent per pupil, it will be impossible to tell whether the first two causes are behind inadequate results at the primary level, or whether the cause is really, as I suspect, rotten teaching methods?