§ Mrs. Knightasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what progress has been made in considering the desirability of a national school leaving date for all 16-year-olds.
§ Mr. ArmstrongMy right hon. Friend will shortly be considering the views of 229W local authority and teachers' associations on a proposal to set an early leaving date in the summer term for those pupils who are not at present eligible to leave until the end of the term. Some associations advanced the possibility of a single annual leaving date for all pupils and these comments will be taken into consideration also, but this was not the suggestion put for consultation.