Parliamentary Search

Written question asked by John Bercow (Conservative) on Monday, 7 November 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 9 November 2005. It was answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern (Labour) on Monday, 14 November 2005 on behalf of the Department for Education and Skills.

Public Service Agreements

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if she will make a statement on progress towards the Public Service Agreement target to raise standards in English, mathematics, ICT and science in secondary education so that by 2007 85 per cent. of 14 year olds achieve level 5 or above.
Answer

Progress against the Department's outstanding public service agreements (PSAs) was most recently reported in the 2005 departmental report, published in June 2005, together with the Department's assessment towards achievement of the targets. A copy of the report is available from the House of Commons Library.Provisional results for 2005 key stage 2 tests were published in a Statistical First Release (SFR) on 23 August 2005. The provisional data show 79 per cent. of pupils achieved level 4 and above in English, and 75 per cent. of pupils achieved level 4 and above in mathematics. The corresponding figures for 2004 are 78 per cent. and 74 per cent. respectively. In 1997, 63 per cent. of pupils achieved level 4 and above in English, and 62 per cent. of pupils achieved level 4 and above in mathematics. This year's results mean that compared with 1997, around 84,000 more 11-year-olds started secondary school this year with the basic literacy and numeracy skills to do well.Provisional results for 2005 key stage 3 tests were published in an SFR on 8 September 2005. The provisional data show: 74 per cent. of pupils achieved level 5 and above in English; 74 per cent. in mathematics; 70 per cent. in science; and 69 per cent. in ICT. The corresponding figures for 2004 are: 71 per cent.; 73 per cent.; 66 per cent. and 67 per cent. respectively. In 1997, 57 per cent. of pupils achieved level 5 and above in English; 60 per cent. in mathematics; 60 per cent. in science; and 50 per cent. in ICT. Approximately 103,000 more 14-year-olds in English and 86,000 more in maths achieved the target level at key stage 3 this year than did so in 1997.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
26792; 439 c947W;439 c947W
Session
2005-06
Subjects
ICT Education Standards Secondary education Science Literacy Public service agreements Mathematics Numeracy
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk