§ 40 Mr. Hamlingasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will seek to hold discussions with universities about their regulations concerning university entrance, with a view to taking steps to alter them.
§ Mr. CroslandEach university is responsible for its own admissions procedure. My hon. Friend will be glad to know, however, that the universities have formed a Standing Conference on University Entrance which is concerned with academic entrance requirements and has indeed already arranged for these to be considerably simplified. It consults regularly with the Schools Council.
§ Mr. HamlingWould my right hon. Friend consider injecting into the administration of the universities some real public control?
§ Mr. CroslandThat goes rather beyond. the original Question. On the question of entrance requirements into universities, my hon. Friend will know that very different opinions are held as to whether we should stick to an A-level system, whether we should copy the Oxford andi Cambridge university entrance examination, or whether we should try to find some new form of aptitude test. I ant sure that for the moment the right thing is to leave this to the dialogue between the universities and the schools, although if at any time an initiative is called for. I would be only too ready to help.