Chapter 2: Department for Education and Skills
Aim
Help build a competitive economy and inclusive society by:-
- creating opportunities for everyone to develop their learning;
- releasing potential in people to make the most of themselves;
- achieving excellence in standards of education and levels of skills.
Objectives and performance targets
Objective I: sustain improvements in primary education.
1. Raise standards in English and maths so that:
- by 2004 85% of 11 year olds achieve level 4 or above and 35% achieve level 5 or above with this level of performance sustained to 2006; and
- by 2006, the number of schools in which fewer than 65% of pupils achieve level 4 or above is significantly reduced.
Objective II: transform secondary education.
2. Raise standards in English, maths, ICT and science in secondary education so that:
- by 2004 75% of 14 year olds achieve level 5 or above in English, maths and ICT (70% in science) nationally, and by 2007 85% (80% in science);
- by 2007, the number of schools where fewer than 60% of 14 year olds achieve level 5 or above is significantly reduced; and
- by 2007 90% of pupils reach level 4 in English and maths by age 12.
Objective III: pupil inclusion.
3. By 2004 reduce school truancies by 10% compared to 2002, sustain the new lower level, and improve overall attendance levels thereafter.
4. Enhance the take-up of sporting opportunities by 5-16 year olds by increasing the percentage of school children who spend a minimum of two hours each week on high quality PE and school sport within and beyond the curriculum from 25% in 2002 to 75% by 2006. Joint Target with DCMS
Objective IV: raise attainment at 14-19.
5. Raise standards in schools and colleges so that:
- between 2002 and 2006 the proportion of those aged 16 who get qualifications equivalent to 5 GCSEs at grades A* to C rises by 2 percentage points each year on average and in all schools at least 20% of pupils achieve this standard by 2004 rising to 25% by 2006; and
- the proportion of 19 year olds who achieve this standard rises by 3 percentage points between 2002 and 2004, with a further increase of 3 percentage points by 2006.
Objective V: improve the skills of young people and adults and raise participation and quality in post-16 learning provision.
6. By 2004, at least 28% of young people to start a Modern Apprenticeship by age 22. A wider vocational target for 2010, that includes learning programmes in further education preparing young people for skilled employment or higher education will be announced in the 2002 Pre-Budget Report.
7. Challenging targets will be set for minimum performance and value for money in FE colleges and other providers by the Government and the LSCs. (This is also the department's value for money target)
8. By 2010, increase participation in Higher Education towards 50% of those aged 18 to 30. Also, make significant progress year on year towards fair access, and bear down on rates of non-completion.
Objective V: tackle the adult skills deficit.
9. Improve the basic skill levels of 1.5 million adults between the launch of Skills for Life in 2001 and 2007, with a milestone of 750,000 by 2004.
10. Reduce by at least 40% the number of adults in the UK workforce who lack NVQ 2 or equivalent qualifications by 2010. Working towards this, one million adults already in the workforce to achieve level 2 between 2003 and 2006.
Who is responsible for delivery?
The Secretary of State for Education and Skills is responsible for delivery of the PSA. The Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport is jointly responsible for delivering target 4.