HL Deb 15 March 1967 vol 281 cc284-6

2.40 p.m.

BARONESS BROOKE OF YSTRADFELLTE

My Lords, owing to the absence of my noble friend Lady Emmet of Amberley, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in her name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the compulsory measures being used by them to establish comprehensive schools are in line with the Declaration of Human Rights approved by the General Assembly of the United Nations in Paris on December 10, 1948, and presented by the then Labour Government to Parliament, which states that parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education which shall be given to their children.]

BARONESS PHILLIPS

My Lords, Her Majesty's Government are satisfied that the national policy for the reorganisation of education on comprehensive lines is entirely consistent with Article 26(3) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

BARONESS BROOKE OF YSTRADFELLTE

My Lords, may I ask whether there was not a further recognition of the duty of the State to respect the right of parents in the Declaration signed by members of the Council of Europe in 1952?

BARONESS PHILLIPS

My Lords, I am sorry that I am unable to give the noble Lady a direct reply to that question, but it may well be so. I think that it is useful to point out that her original Question referred to compulsion. In fact Her Majesty's Government are relying on voluntary co-operation to bring about this reform.

LORD INGLEWOOD

My Lords, is it not the policy of Her Majesty's Government to ensure that parents now have no choice at all? They have the "choice" of one type of school.

BARONESS PHILLIPS

My Lords, that is certainly not the policy of Her Majesty's Government. if I may say so, how much choice did parents ever have under the selective system? If a child was adjudged right for a secondary modern school, the parent could not select a grammar school.

LORD NEWTON

My Lords, I understand that the Government have said that they are not going to approve major expenditure on secondary school buildings unless that expenditure is designed to promote comprehensive school organisation. That may not be direct compulsion, but is it not rather near it?

BARONESS PHILLIPS

My Lords, whether the noble Lord takes it to be compulsion or not, it is interesting to know that of 162 local education authorities, so far 66 have submitted schemes which have been approved and a further 50 have sent forward schemes, so that only a small number of authorities have not yet accepted the suggestions of Her Majesty's Government. I think, too,. that the noble Lord would agree that at this point of time buildings which may never fit in with any major scheme, even in later years, would not be an economic proposition.

LORD NEWTON

My Lords, that may be true—indeed, I think it is—but, with respect, has that much bearing on my noble friend's question on the extent to which the Government are using compulsion?

BARONESS PHILLIPS

My Lords, I think I can definitely refute the suggestion that the Government are using compulsion.

BARONESS HORSBRUGH

My Lords, could the noble Lady tell us the choice of schools which is being provided so that parents may choose?

BARONESS PHILLIPS

My Lords, as the noble Lady knows, the local education authority have the final word on this matter, but so far as any choice has ever been available, that choice will still be there for parents.

BARONESS SUMMERSKILL

My Lords, would my noble friend agree with me that the striking change which has been made by the Government is that entry into comprehensive schools is based on the public school system whereby everybody, irrespective of I.Q., is given an opportunity?

BARONESS PHILLIPS

My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that explanation of the position.