§ 6 and 15. Dr. Kingasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education (1) what steps he proposes to take to speed up the reorganisation of all-age schools in view of the wide disparity of provision of separate secondary education revealed by Statistical Return No. 38, 1956;
(2) whether, in view of the fact that in 1956 12 county borough local education authorities still had over 20 per cent. of their secondary children receiving education in a primary school, he will now permit those county boroughs to include in their building programmes schools necessary to complete reorganisation into separate primary and secondary schools.
§ Sir E. BoyleThe proportion of 13year-old children attending all-age schools was reduced from 18 per cent. in 1950 to 9.5 per cent. in 1956. In rural areas, more new secondary schools are being built to enable this process to continue, and in urban areas projects approved for other reasons are making possible a good deal of reorganisation. But my noble Friend cannot yet allow county boroughs to build new secondary schools specifically for this purpose.
§ Dr. KingPerhaps, Mr. Speaker, I may put my supplementary in the form of two questions. May I ask the Parliamentary Secretary whether he is aware that, whereas by 1956 some authorities had completely reorganised secondary education, there are still authorities where a quarter, a third, and sometimes even half of the children are being educated in all-age schools? Can he remain happy as long as we have such a disparity of provision as between Gateshead with over 50 per cent. and Manchester with 25 per cent. of children still being educated at all-age 1286 schools, while some authorities have completely abolished the all-age school?
On the county borough question, which the Minister also answered, is he aware that we are now in the paradoxical position that the county authorities are ahead of the county boroughs now in the reorganisation of secondary education, and will he not let the county boroughs get on with the job?
§ Sir E. BoyleSo far as the county boroughs are concerned, I have nothing to add to what I have already said, except to say that the numbers of children attending all-age schools have fallen from 17.5 per cent. in 1950 to just over 10 per cent. in 1956, which is some progress. Our aim remains that stated in the Circular No. 283, which is to start by the end of 1959 the last school needed to complete reorganisation in rural areas.