§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what provisions of the Education Act will affect the rights of parents within an education authority to seek admission for their children to grammar schools which draw pupils from only a part of the education authority area under the authority's scheme of education; and if he will make a statement.
§ Dr. BoysonThe relevant provisions of the Education Act 1980 (sections 6 to 8) have not yet been brought into effect. Section 6 places authorities under a duty to comply with the preferences of parents as to the school their children should attend unless compliance would,inter alia, prejudice the provision of efficient education or the efficient use of resources. When these provisions are brought into effect an authority which operates comprehensive schools in some parts of its area and grammar and secondary modern schools in others will still be able to make admission arrangements which limit, or give priority in, admission to particular schools to children from a specified area, provided this can be justified in terms of the above criteria and the arrangements are published in accordance with the requirements of section 8 of the Act.