§ 38. Mr. Palmerasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the progress of comprehensive education within the City of Bristol.
§ Mr. CroslandMost areas of the City of Bristol are covered by a comprehensive scheme introduced in September 1965 under which 15 comprehensive schools take the full ability range from their areas. In East Bristol a two-tier system operates under which pupils transfer to an upper school at the age of 13 if they intend to remain at school until 16. Lower schools and upper schools work together in groups and I have just approved the amalgamation of the three schools in the St. George group into an all-through comprehensive school. In Central Bristol the schools are still organised as Grammar and Modern schools but the Authority have in mind the need for reorganisation as circumstances permit.
In addition there are three Roman Catholic secondary schools which take Catholic children of the full ability range for all parts of the city.