§ Mr. Pendryasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what advice she has given to the Tameside Education Authority about the issue of public moneys for places for Tameside children in independent schools outside the metropolitan borough of Tameside.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonCircular 12/76 drew the attention of all local education authorities to the provisions of Section 5 of the Education Act 1976 and required them to inform my right hon. Friend of arrangements which they have made or may make for the support of education in non-maintained schools. Such arrangements will be subject to review by my right hon. Friend.
§ Mr. Pendryasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what advice she has given to the Tameside Education Authority for selection examinations in the current year, in the light of her policy against selection by the 11-plus examination.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonNone. It is for the local education authority to determine its selection procedures for the allocation of pupils to secondary schools. My hon. Friend will be aware that Tame-side has been required to submit by 27th May proposals under Section 2 of the Education Act 1976 for the reorganisation of its secondary schools in accordance with the comprehensive principle.
§ Mr. Pendryasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, in view of the 53W changing character of the Copley Longendale and Hattersley comprehensive schools following the decision of the Tameside Education Authority, what representations have been made to her for issuing new Section 13 notices as required under the Education Act 1944.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonMy right hon. Friend has received one representation about the admission arrangements to these schools. I am told that the Tameside authority intends to retain these schools as comprehensive schools and that it is considering the future admission arrangements to them. If the authority intended to admit children to them by reference to ability and aptitude, it would be required by Section 13 to make proposals to that effect to my right hon. Friend.
In the absence of such proposals the allocation procedure will remain primarily a matter for the authority, and it is most unlikely that the Secretary of State would become involved unless there were complaints from parents about the allocation procedures in operation.