HC Deb 16 December 1976 vol 922 cc815-7W
Mr. Michael McGuire

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the criteria for determining whether or not a school can be designated a social priority school; what is the current annual cost of the social priority schools allowance scheme and how this compares with the cost in previous years; what estimate has been made of the number of extra teachers who could be employed, at no extra cost, if the social

students are taking science-based or industrial-based courses at Warwick University and Lanchester Polytechnic, Coventry; if there are any vacancies on such courses; and what is the comparison with the national position.

Mr. Oakes

Regarding the University of Warwick, I understand that its provisonal student numbers in science and technology based courses for the 1976–77 academic year are:

ing. to recognised qualifications in science and technology are:

Full-time and Part-time
Science 1,033
Engineering and technology 1,474

The Polytechnic has reported 104 vacancies on approved—i.e., advanced—courses in 1976–77. Statistics of vacancies on non-advanced courses are not collected.

National statistics of student numbers for 1976–77 are not available. The figures for 1975–76 were:

priority areas scheme was abolished; and if she will make a statement.

Miss Margaret Jackson

Social priority schools are designated by a designating committee consisting of the members of the Burnham Primary and Secondary Committee, which is required to have regard to the following criteria:—

  1. i. the social and economic status of the parents of children at the schools;
  2. ii. the absence of amenities in the homes of children attending the schools;
  3. iii. the proportion of children in the schools receiving free meals and belonging to families in receipt of supplementary benefits under the Ministry of Social Security Act 1966;
    4. 817
  4. iv. the proportion of children in the schools with serious language difficulties; and
  5. v. the proportion of retarded, disturbed and handicapped children.

The annual cost of the scheme, which was introduced in June 1974, has risen from about £12½ million then to about £13½ million now. This is equivalent to the cost of employing about 4,000 newly qualified teachers.

The scheme is currently under review by the Burnham Primary and Secondary Committee.