GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION IN PRIMARY EDUCATION

Early day motion 498, tabled 29 November 2001 by Lord Willis of Knaresborough (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 43 members.

That this House notes that the Government's tests and targets policy, whilst of some value in the early stages of its reforms of literacy and numeracy teaching, is now after four years in danger of having an adverse effect on teaching and learning in primary schools and that the Government's own commissioned research by the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education has warned of these effects; and agrees with the independent campaign 'Time to Teach' that new government targets for pupils' achievements in 2004 should be dropped and a moratorium on further initiatives in primary education should be imposed for a period of three years, thus allowing time for teachers to consolidate the work of the national literacy and numeracy strategies to raise standards within a now well established framework of public accountability without further government intervention.

Signatures by party: Liberal Democrat 24, Labour 14, Conservative 3, Labour/Co-operative 1, Plaid Cymru 1.