§ 18. Mr. Dormandasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will state the different forms of comprehensive education now approved by her department; and whether she will list the number of each form in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mrs. ThatcherThe four main patterns in operation are: all-through schools, 1116 schools feeding sixth form colleges, various types of two-tier arrangements and middle school arrangements. With permission, I will circulate further information in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. DormandIs the Secretary of State aware that many schools designated as comprehensive do not in fact fulfil the basic criterion of comprehensive education; that is, they do not admit the full ability range? Does the right hon. Lady agree that this makes nonsense of many of the plans for reorganisation which have been submitted to her? In view of the Government's lack of 1662 enthusiasm for comprehensive education, is she happy to have it that way?
§ Mrs. ThatcherIt is well known by all those who survived the last Parliament that comprehensive and non-selective education are two different things. Often to get comprehensive education one needs to select in order to get an all-ability range in each school. That is known as banding, and that was rejected by the last Government. Selection is not necessarily rejected by this Government.
§ Mr. Scott-HopkinsDoes my right hon. Friend agree that the middle school form of comprehensive education is an excellent way of doing it? Will she take steps to explain to areas such as Derbyshire, where there has been a great controversy in the Matlock area, the great advantages which can accrue to parents and children of adopting the middle school form?
§ Mrs. ThatcherIn some areas the middle school system works very well. Conditions vary from area to area in the buildings and staff which are available. It is difficult to make any overall judgment unless one knows the background of each area.
§ Miss LestorDoes the right hon. Lady agree that the whole principle of comprehensive education is eroded when streaming within comprehensive schools takes place? Will she therefore issue a circular to this effect and advise people in comprehensive schools that they are destroying the whole principle when that exists?
§ Mrs. ThatcherNo, I will not. Arrangements within schools are matters for the heads of those schools.
§ Mr. Leslie HuckfieldWhat policy does the Secretary of State intend to adopt towards the direct-grant school in these various forms of comprehensive education which she has just listed?
§ Mrs. ThatcherDirect-grant schools will continue as they are for the time being.
Following is the information:The following Table shows the main different patterns of comprehensive organisation which have been approved in principle since 1965 and the number of authorities proposing each 1663 pattern. The plans of some county authorities in particular include more than one kind of organisation. The figures relate to England and Wales.
| Number of authorities | |
| All-through comprehensive schools (11–18) | 64 |
| Mixed pattern of 11–16 and 11–18 schools | 25 |
| 11–16 schools followed by sixth form colleges | 22 |
| Two-tier arrangements | 32 |
| Middle school arrangements | 61 |