§ Mr. Swinglerasked the Minister of Education what action he proposes to take on the report and recommendations of the Newsom Committee on secondary education.
§ Sir E. BoyleThe two most important recommendations addressed to me are those relating to the raising of the school leaving age and to the school building programme. I have recently announced a greatly increased level of school building starts for the years 1965–66 and 1966–67. I recognise the importance of continuing the improvement of educational provision in secondary schools on which we are already engaged. With regard to the raising of the school leaving age, I have already said that I will make a statement during this Session.
The other recommendations of the Newsom Report are, in the main, definitions of areas of research and development calling for further detailed work by a variety of agencies. Some of this work is already in hand. For example, I am supporting from my Research Vote a study by the Liverpool Institute of Education of the relationship between environment and educational progress, and by the London Institute of Education of the relationship between verbal intelligence, learning ability and social class.
The commissioning of much of the other work recommended in the Report, and the subsequent consideration of the means of making a co-ordinated use of 210W the results, would fall within the purview of the new co-operative machinery in the fields of the schools' curriculum and examinations which I have proposed. This proposal is now being considered by a representative working party, which is making good progress.
I shall continue to consider, in consultation with my colleagues, how best to follow up other recommendations that are addressed to me, and I hope that all those to whom the report addresses recommendations will be doing the same. I shall be ready to consider supporting from my Research Vote proposals for research or development formulated in this way, though I should hope that other sources of finance will also play their part.