§ 10. Mr. G. M. Thomsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his attention has been drawn to the residential course for young people leaving junior secondary courses in Dundee; and if he will encourage other local authorities to make a similar provision.
§ Mr. MaclayI drew attention in the Report on Education in Scotland in 1956 to the first course of this kind run by Dundee Education Authority. Subsequent courses have been watched with the greatest interest and I welcome this opportunity of expressing the hope that such projects will be developed as widely as possible.
§ Mr. ThomsonWill not the Secretary of State do something more to encourage local authorities to do this sort of thing, instead of merely making pious statements such as he has done just now? Is he aware that these junior secondary school leavers form the vast majority of the school population and are going to be the great majority of our future workers and housewives and mothers, and that this kind of course gives them an excellent chance to find out the possibilities of further education and to make the best use of their spare time?
§ Mr. MaclayI am considering whether any more can be done to encourage this kind of thing, especially since I noticed that the hon. Member himself has taken part in one of the courses.