Primary Schools: Literacy and Numeracy Hours

Part of the debate – in the House of Lords at 3:06 pm on 28 June 2005.

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Photo of Baroness Buscombe Baroness Buscombe Spokespersons In the Lords, Education, Shadow Minister (Education) 3:06, 28 June 2005

My Lords, given recent reports that the £1 billion campaign to raise literacy standards in primary schools has failed to make a difference to GCSE results, will the Minister agree with my Honourable Friend in Another place, Nick Gibb, and me that we must return to pure synthetic phonics—or, in plain English, the traditional method of reading—in our primary schools? Is there any way that he could speed up the process which he has explained to the House today?

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