§ 26. Mr. E. Fletcherasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education if he will take steps to encourage local authorities to expand the laboratory accommodation in all maintained schools in order to meet the increasing demands for sixth-form science teaching.
§ Sir E. BoyleA great deal has already been done within the scope of post-war school building programmes. My noble Friend intends to include in the 1957–58 and 1958–59 programmes more work than hitherto, specifically designed to improve facilities in secondary schools for teaching science, especially in sixth forms.
§ Mr. FletcherIs the Minister aware that the real key to increasing our scientific manpower lies in the sixth form of schools? Does he realise that £3 million has been raised within the year to improve the laboratory accommodation in independent schools, and is it not at least necessary that local authorities should spend vastly more on improving laboratory accommodation in order to encourage rather more sixth form students to take up science in grammar schools?
§ Sir E. BoyleI entirely share the hon. Gentleman's sense of the great importance of the subject. I would add that since 1945 about £15 million has already been spent on the provision of laboratories in secondary schools.