§ 18. Mr. Marksasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many proposals she has received from local education authorities since June, 1970, to convert selective secondary schools to non-selective secondary schools; and how many she has rejected.
§ Mrs. ThatcherThe Department's statistics do not distinguish between proposals relating to comprehensive schools development and other proposals relating to secondary schools. Of about 2,300 proposals related to secondary schools, I have rejected 101.
§ Mr. MarksHaving failed to discourage local education authorities from submitting plans for comprehensive schools, why is the right hon. Lady in several cases insisting on the retention of selective schools in otherwise comprehensive areas, so sabotaging the efforts of Labour and Conservative councils to get rid of 11-plus selection?
§ Mrs. ThatcherUsually because there is a large volume of objection to the local education authority proposals which is catered for in the legislative provisions, or because the physical or curriculum arrangements do not appear to be satisfactory.