HC Deb 22 June 1982 vol 26 cc148-9
17. Mr. Dykes

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will sponsor a scheme in schools to give additional guidance to pupils in their final year of secondary education in preparation for job-seeking and careers.

Mr. William Shelton

The Government recognise and have already drawn to the attention of schools in a number of ways the need for more and better careers guidance. However, this must be a matter for local education authorities and I would urge them to give it the importance that it deserves.

Mr. Dykes

With the reinforcement and expansion of the youth training scheme announced yesterday, is it not essential to make sure that the balance is right by providing for careers and training advisers and masters in all secondary schools? Will my hon. Friend look into this matter carefully?

Mr. Shelton

Yes. My hon. Friend is right. I can reassure him by saying that the MSC has already increased funding for careers officers. Although the careers teacher service is a matter, as I have said, for local education authorities, we made it a central theme in our school curriculum document published last year.

Mr. Cryer

Is it not a hollow mockery to talk about careers guidance for schoolchildren when almost a quarter of a million of them are facing the dole queue? The real cause is the savage economic policy of the Government. When will the Government abandon their plethora of tinsel policies for job creation and actually try to encourage people to stay on at school by providing an educational maintenance allowance such as has been pressed on them for a number of years?

Mr. Shelton

I suggest that the hon. Gentleman is talking nonsense. He is suggesting, if I understand him rightly, that youngsters should not be educated and guided at this time because there might not be a job waiting for them. That is nonsense. When the upturn comes, which will happen shortly, it is always in the skill areas that there are bottlenecks.

Mr. Thornton

Does my hon. Friend agree that it is not just in the final year of secondary education but in earlier years that pupils need guidance? Should not every encouragement be given to schools to start encouraging the expansion of careers guidance from 12-plus onwards?

Mr. Shelton

My hon. Friend is right. I had a meeting with the National Association of Careers and Guidance Teachers the other day, when the same point was made. I think it is generally agreed that we are talking about the fourth and fifth years onwards.

Mr. Dobson

Will the Minister endeavour to persuade his colleagues at the Department of Health and Social Security to review their recent mean-minded decision that young people going on pre-vocational courses starting in September will be deprived of supplementary benefit for three months, and so enable them to go on those courses and honour the sort of undertakings that he talks about?

Mr. Shelton

If the hon. Gentleman is referring to the recent revision in the 21-hours rule, I would say that this is generally welcomed. If he is referring to the vocational courses whereby one cannot get supplementary benefit for three months, that is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services.