International Comparisons

Answer: My hon. Friend is right to suggest that we should not be too rigid about what we do for every child. We should ensure that every child has momentum in their learning and that we have more personalised learning. For example, he will be pleased to see that on page 71 of the children's plan there is an explicit mention of phonics. That does not bear out the reading of the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), who perhaps needs to read paragraph 3.85, which says:"““The review will build on Sir Jim Rose's review of the importance of phonics in teaching children to read””."

This is an answer to the Oral question asked on Monday, 17 December 2007 by Martin Linton (Labour).

Question: Is my hon. Friend aware that what the international comparative assessments agree on is that it is a profoundly mistaken idea to force children to learn to read at the age of five, and even more so to drag them off to primary schools a few days after their fourth birthday? The assessments show that the countries that start formal education at the later age of seven are those that do best in the international comparisons.

Secondary information

Type: Oral answer to question
Reference: 469 c580-1
Session: 2007-08
Chamber / Committee: House of Commons chamber
Subjects: Curriculum Education Primary education Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Standards Science Literacy Numeracy Programme for International Student Assessment
Link: View this Oral answer to question on www.publications.parliament.uk