§ 76. Mr. Sharpasked the Minister of Education what action he proposes taking to ensure that the decision not to allow a child to take the General Certificate of Education before the age of 16 does not retard the development of brighter children.
§ Mr. TomlinsonThere is nothing in the new examination system itself to retard a bright child's development. The object of the examination is to test a candidate's educational attainment shortly before he or she is ready to enter a university or profession, and by making papers available at three different levels in a pupil's selected subjects it aims to help the able child to develop his full powers on advanced lines as soon as he can profitably do so