§ Mr. Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list details of the numbers and percentages of pupils leaving school at the minimum leaving age; and if he will classify these figures for each social class of the parents for each year since the raising of the school leaving age.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneThe information is as follows:
PUPILS LEAVING SCHOOL* AT THE MINIMUM SCHOOL LEAVING AGE IN ENGLAND† FROM 1973–74 to 1978–79 Year Numbers (thousands) Percentage of all school leavers 1973–74† 366.2 54 1974–75 346.6 53 1975–76 345.6 52 1976–77 353.2 50 1977–78 363.8 50 1978–79 (provisional) 352.6 48 *Excluding leavers from independent schools not recognised as efficient, up to and including 1976–77. † Figures for 1973–74 are for England and Wales. No information is available concerning the social class of the leavers' parents.