§ 7. Mr. Owenasked the Minister of Education if he will review the composition of the Secondary Schools Examination Council with a view to enlisting the services of personnel knowledgeable in junior technical examinations in modern schools.
§ Sir E. BoyleThe Secondary School Examinations Council already includes persons with experience of examinations in secondary modern schools. But my right hon. Friend will certainly bear the hon. Member's suggestion in mind in considering future appointments to the Council.
§ Mr. OwenIs the Parliamentary Secretary aware that the composition of the Council as submitted at the moment contains only one seat from the secondary modern schools? It is true that there are about 12 persons with some experience of secondary school routine and organisation, but there are still 20 persons whose experience is quite remote from present-day living conditions and problems in secondary schools. Therefore, is it not important to reconsider the whole set-up?
§ Sir E. BoyleI can assure the hon. Gentleman that two members of the Secondary Schools Examination Council have first-hand experience of secondary modern schools, but my right hon. Friend will certainly bear this point in mind.
§ 8. Mr. Owenasked the Minister of Education what advice he has received from his Education Advisory Council concerning the present system of junior technical examinations in modern schools.
§ Sir E. BoyleNone, yet.
§ 9. Mr. Owenasked the Minister of Education if he is aware of the different scales of payments for students who enter for junior technical examinations and for those who take the General Certificate of Education examination; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Sir E. BoyleI assume the hon. Member is referring to the fact that pupils under 16 taking the General Certificate of Education examination have their fees remitted but those taking technical examinations do not. On this I have nothing to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member on 13th February.
§ Mr. OwenThe difficulty seems to be Circular 326. Is the hon. Gentleman aware that in the northern counties secondary technical examination 34 students sat and had to pay an examination fee of 14s. and that one boy of 16 who sat for the G.C.E. had his fee paid by the Ministry? Surely there is a totally unfair discrimination. Further, is the Minister aware that in order to encourage technical education these days it is important to remove this barrier to students?
§ Sir E. BoyleThe fees charged by examining bodies are fixed by each body. My right hon. Friend does not see any reason to interfere with their discretion, but if the hon. Gentleman has a case in mind and will write to me I will consider it.
§ Mr. M. StewartIs it not a fact that the point raised by my hon. Friend relates not to the fee charged by the examining body but to the question whether the Ministry ought to be prepared to meet it, as it does in the case of the General Certificate of Education? In view of the importance of technical education, ought not that point to be reconsidered?
§ Sir E. BoyleIt is within the discretion of local education authorities to pay the fee for external examinations other than the G.C.E. But certainly I will look at the point and, as I say, if the hon. 1566 Gentleman has any particular point in mind and will write to me about it, I will consider the matter.
Mr. SpeakerI would call attention to the fact that we have only reached Question No. 10. I hope that supplementary questions will be much shorter than they have been so far.