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Mr. Don Foster
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to ensure the continuation of A level examinations in Bengali; and if he will make a statement. [35350]
Mr. Vaz
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps he is taking to preserve Bengali as a GCE A Level subject. [35924]
Dr. Howells
The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) and the GCE Awarding Bodies agreed new cost-effective arrangements for safeguarding the
| 1997 Key Stage 2 Reading Assessment Test Results | |||||
| percentage of eligible pupils | |||||
| Boys | |||||
| Level 3 and above | Level 4 and above | Level 5 and above | Absent | Average level | |
| LEA | |||||
| City of London | 88 | 75 | 31 | 0 | 3.7 |
| Camden | 85 | 60 | 19 | 2 | 3.4 |
| Greenwich | 80 | 50 | 10 | 3 | 3.0 |
| Hackney | 78 | 49 | 10 | 3 | 2.9 |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | 83 | 58 | 16 | 2 | 3.2 |
| Islington | 80 | 56 | 15 | 3 | 3.1 |
| Kensington and Chelsea | 87 | 67 | 17 | 1 | 3.4 |
| Lambeth | 81 | 54 | 11 | 2 | 3.1 |
| Lewisham | 81 | 54 | 14 | 3 | 3.1 |
| Southwark | 79 | 49 | 9 | 2 | 2.9 |
| Tower Hamlets | 81 | 47 | 10 | 1 | 3.0 |
| Wandsworth | 83 | 57 | 15 | 3 | 3.2 |
| City of Westminster | 84 | 61 | 18 | 2 | 3.3 |
| Barking and Dagenham | 83 | 52 | 10 | 3 | 3.1 |
| Barnet | 89 | 68 | 22 | 1 | 3.6 |
| Bexley | 91 | 65 | 16 | 3 | 3.5 |
| Brent | 85 | 58 | 14 | 1 | 3.3 |
| Bromley | 93 | 75 | 26 | 1 | 3.8 |
| Croydon | 86 | 62 | 15 | 2 | 3.4 |
| Ealing | 86 | 59 | 15 | 1 | 3.3 |
| Enfield | 85 | 60 | 15 | 3 | 3.3 |
| Haringey | 80 | 52 | 12 | 2 | 3.0 |
| Harrow | 91 | 70 | 20 | 2 | 3.6 |
| Havering | 90 | 70 | 17 | 1 | 3.6 |
| Hillingdon | 88 | 65 | 16 | 3 | 3.4 |
| Hounslow | 83 | 57 | 14 | 1 | 3.2 |
| Kingston upon Thames | 89 | 72 | 24 | 1 | 3.6 |
| Merton | 82 | 58 | 16 | 2 | 3.2 |
| Newham | 78 | 46 | 10 | 2 | 2.9 |
| Redbridge | 87 | 63 | 16 | 2 | 3.4 |
| Richmond upon Thames | 93 | 76 | 29 | 2 | 3.8 |
| Sutton | 91 | 71 | 20 | 2 | 3.6 |
| Waltham Forest | 81 | 54 | 13 | 2 | 3.1 |
| Birmingham | 82 | 55 | 13 | 3 | 3.1 |
| Coventry | 83 | 59 | 12 | 2 | 3.2 |
| Dudley | 85 | 58 | 12 | 2 | 3.2 |
| Sandwell | 82 | 50 | 8 | 3 | 3.0 |
| Solihull | 91 | 69 | 21 | 1 | 3.6 |
| Walsall | 82 | 55 | 12 | 2 | 3.2 |
| Wolverhampton | 84 | 58 | 12 | 3 | 3.2 |
| Knowsley | 84 | 56 | 10 | 2 | 3.2 |
| Liverpool | 83 | 56 | 13 | 3 | 3.2 |
provision of a range of small entry subjects at A level, including Bengali, on 23 March. I understand that these arrangements will ensure that qualifications presently available will continue to be offered without interruption.