§ Sir John Rodgersasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what has been the cost of comprehensivisation of schools so far in (a) special teaching materials for self-paced classes, (b) extra staffing for all-ability groups and for administration of very large schools and (c) buildings and conversion of schools.
§ Miss Joan LestorThe information required to answer (a) and (b) is not available. The fact is that comprehensive reorganisation has been going on for 10 or more years in many parts of the country, while changes in teaching methods and curriculum have been made over the same period, neither necessarily associated with reorganisation. As regards (c), nearly all the capital cost of re-organisation on comprehensive lines has been contained within the normal capital allocations made to local authorities to meet basic need or to effect improvement. For 1976–77 £25 million is being specially allocated from the total available for projects to facilitate reorganisation.