§ 12. Mr. Silvesterasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what advice her Department offers local education authorities on the composition of school boards of governors.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonMost of the advice given in the 1944 memorandum "Principles of Government in Maintained Secondary Schools", which is reproduced on page 102 of "The Law of Education" by Taylor and Saunders, is still valid. No general advice has been given since then, but I welcome the recommendations of the Taylor Committee on this matter and am consulting interested parties about them.
§ Mr. SilvesterDoes the Minister agree that those authorities such as the city of Manchester, which still use their school sub-committees as a kind of omnibus governing body for all schools rather than 255 using individual governors for schools, are falling below the standards that are currently required?
§ Miss JacksonIt is a matter for local authorities how they organise these matters. I appreciate that the Taylor Report recommended different constitutions, and we are consulting about them. No doubt Manchester and other authorities will make their views known.
§ Mr. James JohnsonThe barbarian Tory county council of Humberside has changed the composition of all school boards in Hull. Is my hon. Friend aware that it has liquidated the places of all sixth-form pupils, who gave such good advice to people on those boards. I fully understand——
§ Mr. SpeakerI am sure the hon. Gentleman understands, but will he ask a question?
§ Mr. JohnsonWill the Department consider issuing some form of circular to local education authorities on this matter?
§ Miss JacksonWe have asked local education authorities to comment on the Taylor Report proposals, which very much bear on this question. However, I agree that it is not in the education interests of an authority to remove all governors and thus deprive itself of the experience of governing bodies which have given good service for many years.
§ Dr. BoysonWill the Minister say when the House will debate the Taylor Report, since we are still awaiting a debate on the Bullock Report, which was put before this House two years ago.
§ Miss JacksonThat is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House.
§ Mr. Greville JannerDoes my hon. Friend agree that the answer to all the points raised from this side of the House on this matter is to take away from counties the powers which they should never have acquired over education and to give back those powers to the cities, from which they should never have been taken?
§ Miss JacksonI am aware that my hon. and learned Friend has strong views on this matter, but that aspect of it is 256 for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment.