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Sixth Form College Lecturers
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what guidance his Department has issued to sixth form college lecturers on contractual changes since 1994. [33918]
Dr. Howells: The Department has issued no guidance to sixth form college lecturers on contractual changes since 1994.
Brewing Industry
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will take measures to safeguard jobs in the brewing industry. [33914]
Mr. Andrew Smith: We shall continue with policies of economic growth and employability, geared to the creation of employment opportunities for all, in the brewing industry as elsewhere.
New Deal (Women)
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps he is taking through the New Deal to encourage young women to enter a more diverse range of occupations. [34184]
Mr. Andrew Smith: The New Deal for young people aged 18-24 is designed to help improve the job prospects of all young people who have been out of work and claiming Jobseeker's Allowance for six months, or more. It will achieve this by offering a wide range of provision, including specialist careers guidance where necessary, tailored to meet the needs, aptitudes and interest of each young person who joins the initiative, and encouraging them to consider as wide a range of appropriate opportunities as possible.
Bullying
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what data he has collated on the level of bullying in (a) state-financed and (b) privately funded educational institutions. [34186]
Ms Estelle Morris:
This information is not collected centrally. However, research undertaken for the Department by Sheffield University between 1991 and
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1993 showed that 10 per cent. of primary and 4 per cent. of secondary age pupils in maintained schools were bullied at least once a week; and a further 27 per cent. of primary and 10 per cent. of secondary pupils were bullied at least sometimes.
Dr. Kumar:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what period of time he will use to assess the economic circumstances of parents' contribution to tuition fees for students in higher education. [34119]
Dr. Howells:
Under the Mandatory Awards Regulations, Local Education Authorities calculate the parents' contribution on the basis of their gross income for income tax purposes in the financial year preceding the academic year for which the student's award is being calculated.
Mr. Kirkwood:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the informal EU Social and Education Council of Ministers meeting on 12 and 13 March. [33403]
Mr. Andrew Smith:
The Secretary of State chaired a successful joint meeting of EU Education and Social Affairs Ministers in London on 12-13 March on the theme of employability. The meeting was an innovative mix of audio-visual presentations, Ministerial discussion groups and plenary discussion. Ministers from all Member States attended the meeting and were joined by Commissioners Cresson and Flynn and representatives of the European Parliament and of social partner organisations from Europe and the UK.
The Ministerial discussion focused on the future of the European Social Fund after the year 2000 and the new generation of education, training and youth programmes. A short report of the conclusions of the meeting will be prepared by the UK Presidency.
The Ministerial discussion groups provided an interesting exchange of views and good practice, centred around approaches to employability across the EU in four main areas: the transition from school to work; lifelong learning; combating long-term unemployment and social exclusion; and combining labour market adaptability with fair and decent standards at work.
Presentations were given by a range of people with differing perspectives on the theme: a leading business man on the role of the employer; the headteacher of a comprehensive school in south east London on preparing schoolchildren for the world of work and combating social exclusion; and participants on the New Deal and the Modern Apprenticeship Scheme and from the Prince's Trust. In addition to the business at the meeting, the Informal Council also successfully involved a range of young people, including young musicians and apprentice chefs.
Mr. Spring:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what assessment he has made of the OFSTED audit of initial teacher training in physical education; [34202]
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(3) what steps he has taken since 1 May 1997 to encourage teachers to obtain recognised sports coaching qualifications; [34204]
(4) what plans the Government have to introduce coaching weeks for teachers; [34205]
(5) what is the sport content of the Initial Teacher Training requirement. [34222]
Ms Estelle Morris:
The Government have not yet received OFSTED's report of its audit into the coverage of physical education in primary initial teacher training. However, it is for individual providers of initial teacher training to decide the extent to which physical education is covered in their courses. Our new requirements for initial teacher training, which I announced last June, will allow trainees to specialise across the 7 to 11 age range. From this September, for the first time primary teachers will be able to specialise in physical education as part of their course.
The Government continue to attach importance to ensuring that good teaching raises pupils' standards in all subjects, including physical education. The Teacher Training Agency is supporting relevant developments in in-service training for classroom teachers and those with leadership responsibility for physical education in our schools. Officers from the Agency are advising the subject associations, the British Association of Advisers and Lecturers in Physical Education, and the Physical Education Association of the United Kingdom as they develop subject-specific exemplifications of the National Professional Standards.
Mr. Spring:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps he has taken since 1 May 1997 to encourage the inclusion of information on sporting aims, provision and achievements in school annual reports and prospectuses. [34209]
Ms Estelle Morris:
The recent position is that all maintained schools must publish in their prospectus a statement of the governing body's aims in respect of sport at their school and the provision made for sport. Their annual report must indicate the extent to which these aims were met and give details of any notable sporting achievements. We shall, however, consult soon on the balance between requiring schools to include specific information in prospectuses and annual reports and leaving them greater discretion.
Mr. Spring:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps he has taken since 1 May 1997 to encourage schools' sports associations' involvement in competitions at district, regional and national levels. [34206]
Ms Estelle Morris:
The Department recognises that schools' sports associations have a valuable role to play in extending sporting opportunities for young people and it is important for pupils' development that they have every opportunity to broaden their horizons through participation in sport and other activities. However, decisions about extra-curricular sporting activities are best left to schools themselves.
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Mr. Spring:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps he has taken since 1 May 1997 to encourage competitive team sport in schools. [34208]
Ms Estelle Morris:
The National Curriculum for physical education already requires schools to teach competitive team games.
Mr. Spring:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proportion of schools have achieved the Sportsmark target for sport provision outside school hours. [34221]
Ms Estelle Morris:
The Department does not collect this information. The Sportsmark scheme is operated by the English Sports Council.
Mr. Spring:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if the amount of sport provided by schools inside and outside school hours has increased since 1 May 1997. [34229]
Ms Estelle Morris:
This information is not collected by the Department.
Mr. Spring:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what guidelines he has issued to local education authorities and school governors on pupils' access to (i) grassed playing fields and (ii) other sports facilities. [34201]
Mr. Byers:
The Education (School Premises) Regulations 1996 prescribe minimum areas of playing fields to which pupils must have access. Access to other sports facilities is not prescribed but to help local education authorities and school governors in planning their sporting provision, guidance is contained in two Departmental Building Bulletins, Area Guidelines for Schools and School Grounds: A Guide to Good Practice.
(2) what steps his Department has taken to assess the sports coaching skills of in-service teachers; [34203]
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