Question time briefing: Children, schools and families

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The Conservatives were accused of 'bowing to pressure' from trade unions on SATs in children, schools and families questions on Monday, ePolitix.com reports.

Conservative proposals to scrap SATs tests for 11-year-olds would lead to "less accountability", Ed Balls told MPs today.

Facing questions in the Commons, the secretary of state for children, schools and families said the "objective measurement" of primary school pupils was "vital" to raising standards.

Phillip Dunne (Con, Ludlow) noted that proposals outlined by the shadow children's secretary Michael Gove had the support the National Union of Teachers.

To the amusement of many in the chamber, Balls accused Dunne of "bowing to the pressure" of the unions.

Gove chose to press the secretary of state on perceived weaknesses in the new science curriculum. He argued that the science curriculum had "deteriorated" under Ball's stewardship.

He said he was "disturbed" to find that only two per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals sat chemistry or biology GCSEs.

"Whilst the number of poor children getting competitive qualifications is declining, so are standards," he warned.

But Balls accused Gove of "running down" the achievements of students in state schools.

"We are investing and raising standards through policies that are consistently opposed by the party opposite," he said.

Balls told MPs that the number of children taking science exams had been rising "year on year".

However, he acknowledged that the qualifications regulator Ofqual had expressed concern over the new GCSE science exam.

These concerns "are being addressed", he said.

Liberal Democrat children's spokesman David Laws congratulated the secretary of state for "managing to his keep his position" in the cabinet, referring to reports that Balls was keen on a move to the Treasury at the recent reshuffle.

Laws said that the 'Building Schools for the Future' programme would be affected by government plans for a 50 per cent cut in capital spending after 2011.

"How much of this programme will survive the governments axe?" he asked.

Balls replied that Laws was "confused" and that it was the Conservatives who were proposing a cut in the programme, not the government.

"We are determined to keep our programme supported," he insisted.

Shadow children’s minister Tim Loughton questioned ministers on personal, social and health education (PHSE).

"After 12 years of Labour government and all the changes to PHSE, why is it we have the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe?" he asked.

Newly appointed children’s minister Diana Johnson argued that there had been a reduction in teenage pregnancy in recent years.

She said that "cuts from his party" would undermine attempts to deal with the issue.

Ann Winterton (Con, Congleton) said that the number of under-16s who had contracted sexually transmitted diseases in the last four years had risen by a "mammoth" 58 per cent.

She argued that "Prevention is better than treatment or cure".

Children’s minister Dawn Primarolo said that "decent sex and relationship education" was needed to enable young people to "resist the pressures" of being sexually active.

"Where they are, we have services available to them that enable them to be safe and to protect their health," she added.

David Taylor (Lab North West Leicestershire) called for a national campaign similar to that employed to tackle HIV/AIDS to combat the growing problem of sexually transmitted diseases.

Primarolo said research showed that providing "targeted and specific" information to young people produced the best results.

"We will continue to follow that strategy," she said.

Addressing the swine flu pandemic, shadow schools minister Nick Gibb asked how many schools would close if the predicted "surge" in swine flu cases occurred when children returned to school in the autumn.

Primarolo responded that the government would "ensure at every opportunity that our children are protected".