Oral Answers to Questions

Mark Ferguson Excerpts

Monday 9th September 2024 Commons Chamber

[Bridget Phillipson]

I would caution the hon. Gentleman about believing everything he reads in the press. Times tables are an important part of our system. We will drive high and rising standards from Government. Rather than picking pointless fights and avoidable industrial action, what he will see from this Government is a different relationship, as we work in partnership with teachers, school leaders and support staff to deliver better life chances for all of our children.

[Mark Ferguson (Gateshead Central and Whickham) (Lab)]

T10. The last set of PISA results under the Conservative Government showed standards in England’s schools going backwards: backwards in reading—[Interruption]—maybe Conservative Members should listen—backwards in maths and backwards in science. Does my right hon. Friend agree that that is far from a record to be proud of?

[Bridget Phillipson]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Conservative Members do not like it, but it is absolutely true. I would add that, when it comes to the concerns my hon. Friend raises, we see stark attainment gaps in the difference between what our poorest and more affluent children are able to achieve. That blights the life chances of children in his constituency of Gateshead. We are determined to make progress on that, unlike the previous Government.