§ Mr. Juddasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what arrangements she has made to circulate Her Majesty the Queen's Commonwealth Day message to schools throughout the United Kingdom; and whether she will make a statement on the follow-up activities in schools.
§ Mrs. ThatcherCopies of Her Majesty the Queen's Commonwealth Day message were circulated this year, as in previous years, to local education authorities for distribution to schools by the Joint Commonwealth Societies' Council. The arrangement of suitable activities is a matter for local education authorities and schools. However, I continue to attach great importance to teaching about the Commonwealth, and the Department's Education Pamphlet No. 51, "The Commonwealth and Education", although published in 1966, still offers ideas for activities, in and out of the classroom, for promoting the Commonwealth ideal. The second issue of the Education32W Information pamphlet "International Affairs and the Commonwealth in Education" to be published later this year, will include a section on "The Commonwealth Today" and will list sources of information and teaching materials on the Commonwealth. One of the most important of these sources is the Commonwealth Institute with which my Department continues to work closely.