§ Mr. Boyd Carpenterasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will state, from information available to him from international sources, up to what age, and for how many years, formal education is compulsory in the United States of America, France, Western Germany, Italy, Canada, Australia and Japan; and in which countries in the world formal education is compulsory for longer than it is at present in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. Gordon WalkerThe following table contains the information requested in the first part of the question.
COMPULSORY EDUCATION Age range Years duration *U.S.A. 5/6–16 10 France 6–16 10 †Western Germany 6–15 9 Italy 6–14 8 ‡Canada 6 or 7–14 to 16 7–10 Australia 6–15 9 Japan 6–15 9 * There are slight variations between one State and another. † The age-range extends only to 14 in some Läander. Pupils above the age of 14 or 15 not attending school full-time are required to attend a part-time vocational school (one or two days a week) until they are 18. ‡ The figures vary from one Province to another. The answer to the second part of the Question, so far as I am aware, is "None".