§ Mr. Richard Wainwrightasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list in theOfficial Report, those local education authorities which are curtailing or abandoning their policy of admitting "rising-fives" to schools, as part of their programme to reduce expenditure; what is his estimate of the number of children affected by these changes in policy; and what action he proposes to take.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonThe information requested in the first two parts of the question is not available. Local education authorities are free to decide whether or not to exercise their discretion to admit children to primary schools before the beginning of the term following their fifth birthday. For the terms of the guidance given to authorities in the context of the rate support grant settlement for 1976–77 I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given to a Question from my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Perry Barr (Mr. Rooker) on 21st January.—[Official Report, Vol. 903. c. 469–70.]
§ Mr. Richard Wainwrightasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proportion of local education authorities admit the "rising-fives" to schools; and if he will list in theOfficial Report those authorities which currently do not follow this policy.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonThe latest figures available are for January 1975, when all local education authorities in England reported some rising 5s in their ordinary primary school classes.