§ 1. Mr. Martenasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will issue a circular to education authorities recommending that the building of new comprehensive schools shall not be under-taken until funds are earmarked for the entire project and that comprehensive reorganisation shall not take place until the project is completed.
§ The Minister of State, Department of Education and Science (Miss Alice Bacon)No, Sir. Where a progressive increase in school population is foreseen, it is often necessary to build a new secondary school by instalments. It will depend on the local circumstances whether the school can then be organised on a comprehensive basis before the whole project is complete.
§ Mr. MartenIn those conditions is it not rather unsatisfactory to call a unit which is scattered over the countryside in a number of centres a comprehensive school? Is not that an illusion, and should not they wait until the school is ready before calling it a comprehensive school?
§ Miss BaconSometimes when even a part of the school is built it can be organised on comprehensive lines. As I said, it depends on local circumstances and numbers.