Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Education – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 2 February 1993.
Mr Anthony Coombs
, Wyre Forest
12:00,
2 February 1993
Does my right hon. Friend agree that it is pure common sense, as the National Curriculum Council and OFSTED said in their reports last week, that primary teachers should do more whole-class teaching, that they should have an idea of exactly the curriculum that they are meant to be teaching and that it is not in any way ideological to set or stream pupils according to their ability? Does not the fact that the hon. Member for Dewsbury (Mrs. Taylor), the Opposition spokesman, calls those common sense remarks "fanatical doctrine" show the extent to which she is out of touch with parental opinion in Britain?
The Opposition are the political parties in the House of Commons other than the largest or Government party. They are called the Opposition because they sit on the benches opposite the Government in the House of Commons Chamber. The largest of the Opposition parties is known as Her Majesty's Opposition. The role of the Official Opposition is to question and scrutinise the work of Government. The Opposition often votes against the Government. In a sense the Official Opposition is the "Government in waiting".
