Written question asked by Bowen Wells (Conservative) on Thursday, 14 December 2000, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 11 January 2001. It was answered by Baroness Morris of Yardley (Labour) on Thursday, 11 January 2001 on behalf of the Department for Education and Employment.

Dept for Education and Employment

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, If he will make a statement on class sizes in secondary schools since May 1997. - Including figures. (Failed OPQ).

Answer: Mr. Wells: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on class sizes in secondary schools since May 1997. [143487] Ms Estelle Morris: The size of the average secondary class is 22, and in January 1997 it was 21.7. Secondary class sizes rose steadily throughout the last decade--in 1990 the figure was 20.3. Secondary headteachers are receiving an average of £50,000 in direct grant to spend as they choose this year. If this were spent on recruiting teachers, the average secondary class size could be reduced by up to 0.8. We are delivering our infant class size pledge for the vast majority of infants, including in Hertford and Stortford. In the constituency in September 2000, nearly 95 per cent. of infants were in classes of 30 or fewer pupils. The figure in January 1997 was 73 per cent.

Secondary information