§ 19. Sir H. Harrisonasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will recommend the setting up of a Royal Commission to inquire into the whole field of future education.
§ Mr. CroslandNo, Sir.
§ Sir H. HarrisonIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that that reply will give a great deal of disappointment to many schoolmasters who are the men carrying out the task of education on the ground and who feel that so many decisions are being taken rather piecemeal that now is the time to have a review of the whole of our education at all stages right through to university level?
§ Mr. CroslandThe reply may come as a disappointment, but it will hardly come as a surprise, as I have now been making this reply for very nearly 12 months. The fact is that we have and have had in the recent past a great many advisory bodies and committees of inquiry and so on into the education service. It cannot be maintained at the moment that we need another, and the only consequence of setting up another would be to delay decisions which should be taken rapidly.