§ 37. Mr. G. Thomasasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Defence what educational attainments qualify entrants to the Services to be classified in standard six.
§ Mr. BirchStandard six in the grading of educational attainments used by the Services means that a man has attended school up to age 15 and has achieved the normal educational level at that age.
§ Mr. ThomasIs the Minister aware that that reply is almost as incomprehensible as that which he gave me last week? Will he explain why the number entering the Army who fail to reach standard six is so much greater than among those entering the other Services?
§ Mr. BirchI apologise for my written answer last week. I do not think that it was clear. I ought to have defined what standard six is. The reason for the standard being lower in the Army is that the Navy takes very few National Service men, and the Air Force can get all it wants. The men choose the Navy and Air Force and these Services, therefore, do not accept the lower standard.