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Spending Review
To give everyone the chance, through education, training and work, to realise their full potential, and thus build an inclusive and fair society and a competitive economy.
Objective I: ensuring that all young people reach 16 with the skills, attitudes and personal qualities that will give them a secure foundation for lifelong learning, work and citizenship in a rapidly changing world.
1. Increase the percentage of 11 year olds at or above the expected standard of literacy and numeracy for their age. By 2004:
2. Increase the percentage of 14 year olds at or above the standard of literacy, numeracy, science and Information & Communications Technology (ICT) for their age. Subject to consultation:
3. Increase the percentage of pupils obtaining 5 or more GCSEs at grades A* to C (or equivalent):
4. Increase the percentage of pupils obtaining 5 or more GCSEs at grades A* to G (or equivalent), including English and maths: by 2004, 92% of 16 year olds should reach this standard.
5. On pupil inclusion:
Objective II: developing in everyone a commitment to lifelong learning, so as to enhance their lives, improve their employability in a changing labour market and create the skills that our economy and employers need.
6. By 2004, increase by 3 percentage points the numbers of 19 year olds achieving a qualification equivalent to National Vocational Qualification level 2 compared to 2002.
7. In Higher Education, while maintaining standards:
8. Reduce the number of adults who have literacy or numeracy problems by 750,000 by 2004.
Objective III: helping people without a job into work. Targets contributing to the Welfare to Work PSA
9. Increase employment over the economic cycle.
10. A continued reduction in the number of unemployed people over the age of 18 over the 3 years to 2004, taking account of the economic cycle.
11. Reduce the number of children in households with no one in work over the 3 years to 2004.
12. Over the 3 years to 2004 increase the employment rates of disadvantaged areas and groups, taking account of the economic cycle - people with disabilities, lone parents, ethnic minorities and the over 50s, the 30 local authority districts with the poorest initial labour market position - and reduce the difference between their employment rates and the overall rate.
13. Complete benchmarking work for schools by December 2002 so that schools will then be able meaningfully to compare costs with one another and thus improve value for money year on year.
The Secretary of State for Education and Employment is responsible for the delivery of this PSA.
The Welfare to Work targets numbers 9-12 (see also separate PSA, Chapter 21) are the joint responsibility of the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, the Secretary of State for Social Security, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
The Secretary of State for Education and Employment is also responsible at Cabinet level for the work of the Sure Start unit. The Minister for Public Health has day to day responsibility for the unit. PSA targets for the Sure Start unit can be found in a separate Sure Start PSA, Chapter 20.
