§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will list the statutory requirements relative to the number of days of holiday enjoyed by primary and secondary schools each year; how this has changed since 1944; and whether she has any proposals to amend present regulations in this matter.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonSection 23(3) of the Education Act 1944 provides for local education authorities or the governors of aided secondary schools to determine the length and timing of school holidays. Regulation 11 of the Schools Regulations 1959 requires that a school shall, apart from some unavoidable cause, meet for at least 400 sessions—i.e., 200 days—in each year, from which may be deducted a number not exceeding 20—i.e., 10 days—in respect of occasional school holidays. There has been610W no change in this provision since the Education Act 1944 came into effect, and there are, at present, no proposals to amend this regulation.