§ Mr. Bagierasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proposals he has received from the Sunderland local authority for making progress towards full implementation of a comprehensive system of education in the county borough; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Edward ShortWhen Sunderland's proposals for reorganisation on a comprehensive basis were approved in March, 1967, two new schools, of which one was being enlarged, provided for the whole range of ability; another was under construction; and a fourth had been formed by the amalgamation of two grammar schools. Since then a fifth has been formed by the amalgamation of two other schools and a sixth in anticipation of an extension project included in the 1969–70 starts programme. The authority plan to establish a seventh on completion of an extension project which has been included in the preliminary list with a view to a start in 1971–72 and an eighth and ninth on completion of extensions which they propose to undertake in 1970–72 out of resources for raising the school-leaving age. All these building projects, together with a project at a Roman Catholic school included in the starts programme for this year, will contribute to the implementation of the reorganisation scheme, at a cost of about £1.3 million in 1969–72. On the basis of these proposals it is estimated that by 1973 about 65 per cent. of secondary pupils in Sunderland will be in schools providing for the whole range of ability.