House of Commons Hansard Debates for 14 Jul 1992

School Administration

Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he has had about the administrative burden placed on head teachers (a) under

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current grant-maintained school arrangements and (b) under current local management of schools arrangements ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Forth : The feedback I have received suggests that head teachers welcome the greater flexibility which the new arrangements bring and the increased responsibilities they now have. Managing budgets should not place an unacceptable burden on head teachers' time.

Grant-maintained Schools

Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make a statement on the current initiatives and reforms being undertaken by grant-maintained schools for raising education standards ; and what legal obstacles exist which would prevent non-grant-maintained schools from undertaking similar initiatives and reforms.

Mr. Forth : The National Curriculum and assessment provisions together with the new arrangements for school inspections are designed to raise standards in all maintained schools. GM schools enjoy greater flexibility to channel expenditure away from administration and into teaching. The Government believe that this, coupled with an increased sense of independence and ownership, gives GM school heads and governors additional opportunities to raise standards.

Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what figures he has for the average pupil-teacher ratio during 1991-92 for schools which had achieved grant-maintained status by 1 April 1991.

Mr. Forth : The figures requested by my hon. Friend are not yet available. We hope to be able to publish figures in the spring. Recently published figures show that, in January 1991, when 50 secondary schools were GM, there were 36,450 pupils and 2,385 full-time equivalent teachers at GM schools, which gives a pupil-teacher ratio of 15.3.

Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is (a) the total number of ballots held on grant-maintained status, (b) in how many the proportion of parents voting yes has been more than 50 per cent. of the number of parents eligible to vote, (c) in how many the margin between the percentage voting yes and that voting no has been 60:40 or closer and (d) how many of those in (b) and (c) have been approved for grant-maintained status.

Mr. Forth : The information requested by the hon. Member is as follows :

(a) There have been 504 ballots on grant-maintained status. (b) In 200 of these the proportion of parents voting yes has been more than 50 per cent. of the number of parents eligible to vote. (c) In 56 the margin between those voting yes and those voting no has been 60:40 or closer.

(d) 132 of the schools detailed at (b) and 44 of the schools detailed at (c) have been approved or are currently minded to approve.

Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many ballots on grant-maintained status have been conducted over or during a school holiday period ; and how many ballots have been held during each school term since September 1988.

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Mr. Forth : The dates of school holidays vary from institution to institution. The information requested is not therefore held centrally. However, out of a total of 504 ballots on GM status to date, five have closed in the month of August.

Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list (a) the number of schools in each education authority which have obtained grant-maintained status and (b) the number of such applications which he is still considering.

Mr. Forth : The information requested is as follows :


(a)                                                                             

                                                                                

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The table includes 217 schools that are operating as GM ; 56 that have been approved but are not yet open ; and two that are "minded to approve" for GM status.

(b)

There are 39 applications still under consideration.

Music

Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will give an estimate of the number of school hours devoted to music in state schools and the total number of music teachers for each year since 1981 ; and if he will make a statement on the future of music teaching in state schools.

Mr. Forth : Information is not available in the form requested. A primary school staffing survey was undertaken in 1987 and secondary school staffing surveys in 1984 and in 1988. These surveys indicated that there were 15,200 full-time teachers with a post A-level qualification in music in maintained nursery and primary schools in England in 1987. In maintained secondary schools in England, there were 9,300 music teachers in 1984, and 7,100 music teachers in 1988. In maintained primary schools in 1987, 4.8 per cent. of time in junior classes was devoted to music. In maintained secondary schools in England in 1988, the proportion of pupil periods devoted to music varied by year group as follows :