§ Mr. Hoggasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science by what date he expects to achieve the objective that all teenagers should enjoy full-time education up to the age of 17 years; what plans he has to achieve this; and when an announcement will be made.
§ Mr. CroslandNo such objective has been laid down by me. But I did refer in a recent speech to "full-time education or its equivalent up to the age of 17". This aspiration is of course already fulfilled amongst those small classes of the population who can afford to send their children to independent schools. How soon it can be fulfilled for the rest of the British people will depend on our social priorities and the rate of economic growth.