§ Mr. Kilfedderasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what provision has been made in the Government's long-term planning for implementation of the Cowan Report on Schools Reorganisation;
(2) if the Cowan Report were implemented, what he expects the effect would be on the teachers currently employed in voluntary grammar schools; how many are currently employed; and how many would be employed in voluntary grammar schools after the proposed reorganisation of secondary education;
(3) what assessment he has made of the figures quoted in the Cowan Report on Schools Reorganisation about the ex- 158W pected additional capital costs arising from implementation of the report; and if he will give further details of the makeup of the figures in order to aid discussion of the report;
(4) why no calculations were made in the Cowan Report on Schools Reorganisation of the cost of the proposals in terms of (a) school transport, (b) school meals provision, (c) teachers' protected salaries, (d) uprooting and re-location of fixed workshop and laboratory equipment and (e) loss of employment by non-teaching staff of schools to be reduced in pupil population.
§ Mr. CarterNo decision will be taken on the reorganisation of secondary schools in Northern Ireland until all the views expressed during the consultation period, which extends until Easter, have been carefully considered and in the absence of that decision specific long-term plans have not been made.
The basis of the costing of the capital works implicit in the suggestions in the consultative document, which did not take school meals accommodation into account, is given on page 70 of the consultative document. The actual cost of implementing any reorganisation, including capital work on school accommodation, school transport, and school meals provision, and the precise implications for the teaching and ancillary staff at any particular school, would depend on the nature of the reorganisation and the detailed arrangements which might eventually be adopted in any locality. These are matters on which further study will be required if it is decided to reorganise on comprehensive lines.