HC Deb 13 May 1965 vol 712 cc687-9
22. Mr. William Hamilton

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is aware of the growing concern about the information services on careers available to school leavers; and what steps he intends to take to implement the Newsom Committee recommendations on this problem.

Mr. R. E. Prentice

I am aware that interest in the subject is increasing. Information and guidance on careers for young people, including advice on the choice of educational courses, are provided both by the Youth Employment Service and the schools, working in close collaboration. The Youth Employment Service is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour. The guidance given in schools has been improving, and the Department and the Schools Council, in consultation with the Minister of Labour, are studying how to help the schools to make further improvements. The Department is hoping very shortly to issue a pamphlet giving some general guidance to teachers and schools.

Mr. Hamilton

Is my hon. Friend aware that this shows a growing volume of dissatisfaction with the adequacy of the services in relation to vocational guidance, especially in secondary modern schools, and junior secondary schools in Scotland—for which he is not responsible? What active consultation is going on with the N.U.T. and other teachers' organisations in this regard? Can he say whether the pamphlet to which he has referred will indicate the view of the Government as to the appointment of full-time counsellors, as recommended in paragraph 233 of the Newsom Report—which must be an extremely valuable suggestion?

Mr. Prentice

The Government share the view that further improvements are needed and that this problem will increase as a result of raising the school-leaving age in a few years' time and the need for further improvement in provisions to meet that. On the point about the provision of counsellors, the Newsom Report mentioned the practice in the United States, of specialist counsellors. It did not say that this should be copied. It did say that there should be, within each school, teachers with a particular responsibility for this, although it is a responsibility that might be shared with other teaching duties. Our view is that provisions certainly must be increased, but we do not think that the best way to do this is by instituting a separate counsellor service along American lines.

Sir E. Boyle

This is an important matter. Is it not a fact that the question of information available to school leavers is very much linked with the question of the right sort of job for the Newsom sector to be aiming at? Will he take it that all of us greatly welcome the news that the Schools Council is to look at the question of the work that will have to be done in relation to raising the school-leaving age?

Mr. Prentice

I agree. The problem is of giving advice both on the type of job to be followed and the type of work to be done in the final period of school so that that advice may be given in time and, thirdly, the type of further education to be followed after leaving school. The three aspects of the one problem must be linked together.

Mr. Tinn

Will my hon. Friend bear in mind in this connection that there are limits to the extent to which advice can be given? Where it is desirable, will he encourage schools to develop links with industries and firms in their areas with a view to pupils being seconded to these firms for certain periods of rather more than a mere visit of one day—perhaps for a week or a month, working in the apprentice sections of the firms, in order to gain some idea of what various jobs actually entail?

Mr. Prentice

This is one section of the Newsom recommendations which is particularly valuable and which has the full support of the Government. One of the first three major projects which are being undertaken by the Schools Council is a study of the final period at school, with that suggestion, among others, in mind.