§ 21. Mr. Sydney Irvingasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education if, in view of the increasing divergence of opinion among eminent educational psychologists on the application and validity of intelligence tests, he will ask his Advisory Council to report on the whole question of procedure in the selection for secondary education so that he may then be in a position to offer guidance to local education authorities in this matter.
§ Sir E. BoyleLocal education authorities do not rely solely or mainly on intelligence tests in their selection procedures. They are continually seeking to make their procedures as good as they can, and the National Foundation for Educational Research is helping them by some special investigations. My noble Friend does not, therefore, propose to ask his Advisory Council to prepare a special report.
§ Mr. IrvingPerhaps I am unreasonable in expecting the hon. Gentleman to know anything about intelligence in view of the fact that his previous Ministerial 377 service has been at the Treasury. Is he aware that the report of the Foundation of Educational Research upsets many of our previous ideas on intelligence; that almost every authority at the moment, as part of its selection procedure, uses intelligence tests, and that the divergence between intelligence and attainment has become more marked? Will he reconsider the decision not to ask the Advisory Council to report on the matter?
§ Sir E. BoyleI am aware of the report mentioned by the hon. Gentleman. I repeat that local authorities do not rely solely or mainly on intelligence tests in their selection procedure.
§ Mr. MikardoIs the hon. Gentleman aware that recently I tried out an 11-plus intelligence test on half-a-dozen top-class, successful, industrial managers, all of whom failed it abjectly? Is he aware that my gleeful satisfaction at this phenomenon was somewhat abated when I abjectly failed the darned thing myself?
§ Sir E. BoyleI am sure the hon. Gentleman did better than I did when once faced with a similar test.