§ Sir E. Graham-Littleasked the Minister of Education whether, as a general policy, the placing of two secondary schools under a single governing body has been approved, as in an instance submitted to him; and in how many instances has this policy been adopted.
§ Mr. TomlinsonSection 20 of the Education Act gives the local education authority discretion to constitute a single governing body for two or more schools subject, in the case of voluntary schools, to the consent of the managers or governors. While it is of the first importance that every governing body should be conversant with the particular conditions and problems of individual schools, it would not be possible, particularly in view of the very large number of schools classed as secondary under the Act, to adopt a policy of separate governing bodies for every school, irrespective of circumstances. I would invite the hon. Member's attention to paragraph 13 of the White Paper on Principles of Government in Maintained Secondary Schools, of which I am sending him a copy. The information asked for in the last part of the Question, is not available.