6. Mr. R. C. Mitchellasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many children in England and Wales remained at school beyond the statutory leaving age in each year from 1962 to the latest available date.
PERCENTAGE OF PUPILS REMAINING AT SCHOOL BEYOND THE STATUTORY LEAVING AGE All maintained schools in England and Wales* 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 Boys and girls aged 13 in school† 668,818 631,026 603,557 590,564 589,222 Percentage of these remaining at school 2 years later, aged 15 36.9‡ 40.2‡ 43.1‡ 46 6‡ 50.4‡ 3 years later, aged 16 22.9 24.7 26.5 29.0 4 years later, aged 17 12.4 13.7 15.0 5 years later, aged 18 4.6 5.2 6 years later, aged 19 0.5 * Excluding special schools. † In January of the year shown; age at beginning of January. † 15-year-old pupils in January, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967 and 1968, with birthdays between 1st January and 1st September inclusive, expressed as a percentage of the estimated number of 13-year-old pupils in January, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965 and 1966, respectively, with birthdays in the same period.