Department for Education and Skills — 16 Oct 2002 at 19:17

I beg to move,

That this House expresses its sympathy to the pupils, parents and teachers affected by the fiasco of grading this year's 'A' level exams; condemns Ministers at the Department for Education and Skills for proceeding with the new system of 'A' levels in the face of expert advice; regrets the confusion this has caused in university entrance both this year and next; calls for the Qualification and Curriculum Authority to be made independent of Government; further regrets the confusion caused by the Secretary of State for Education and Skills over her powers on exclusion appeal panels; expresses its sympathy to the teachers at the Glyn Technology School in Ewell for the problems this has caused; calls for the end of the current system of appeals panels and the introduction of the option of enforceable contracts between schools and parents; notes that the problems for schools caused by the backlog at the Criminal Records Bureau are continuing; regrets that there is no sign of a reduction in truancy numbers; and further notes that the Government has failed to hit its targets on primary school attainment and that the Secretary of State has failed to repeat the pledge of her predecessor to resign if these targets were not reached.

I beg to move, To leave out from XHouse" to the end of the Question, and to add instead thereof:

Xapplauds the priority the Government attaches to education and congratulates the Secretary of State for Education and Skills on her excellent leadership of the education system; notes the current record levels of sustained investment in education with an increase from #41.6 billion in 2001–02 to #57.8 billion in 2005–06; welcomes rising standards and progress being made in schools up and down the country, congratulating in particular all those who played a part in achieving the best ever results in literacy and numeracy for 11 year olds, with 75 per cent. making the grade in English and 73 per cent. in mathematics compared with less than a half in 1997; welcomes the importance the Government attaches to tackling indiscipline and non-attendance at schools; notes that while the Criminal Records Bureau continues to improve its performance, the Department's interim XList 99" measures are allowing schools to operate with a full complement of staff; expresses its sympathy for the pupils, parents and teachers who have been affected by the recent 'A' level grading problems; but congratulates the Secretary of State for Education and Skills for her decisive action in setting up an independent inquiry under Mike Tomlinson to restore confidence in the exam system."

Question put, That the original words stand part of the Question:-

The House divided: Ayes 191, Noes 293.

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