HC Deb 14 December 1979 vol 975 cc827-8W
Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science why the governing body of the Centre for Information and Advice on Educational Disadvantage was not consulted before he took his decision to close down the centre; what additional staff he intends to employ in his Department to carry out the work of the centre; what resources he intends to allocate in order to maintain a commitment to advising local authorities and teachers on the curriculum and teaching methods for the disadvantaged; and if the five main areas of inquiry, namely, under-fives, 14 to 19-year-olds, middle schools, language and adult education will remain the priorities for the educational disadvantage unit.

Dr. Boyson

The centre was informed in June that, like all independent bodies financed by central Government, its future was under review. No representations were made by the governers to my right hon. and learned Friend or to the Department other than a request for a speedy decision to end uncertainty about the centre's future. On 15 November my right hon. and learned Friend announced his decision that the centre should close at the end of the current academic year. He met representatives of the governing body on 5 December when he agreed to consider the various points they raised and invited them to submit further information.

In our view, the foundation of the centre raised expectations which, in retrospect, a body with relatively limited resources was unlikely to fulfill. Against that background it is not intended that additional civil servants should be employed to undertake the work of the centre or that the Department should offer an advice service to individual local authorities and teachers.

The educational disadvantage unit and Her Majesty's Inspectorate will continue to be involved with work on all aspects of educational disadvantage. Their interests will include particular issues which may contribute to disadvantage, such as language difficulties, and provision made for disadvantaged members of all age groups including the under-fives, middle schools—7–13s, 14–19s and adults.