HC Deb 25 November 1980 vol 994 c61W
30. Mr. Hooley

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what additional incentives will be offered in 1981 to encourage boys and girls in the 16 to 19 age group to remain at school or enter full-time courses in further education colleges.

Mr. Macfarlane

In deciding whether to continue in full-time education, young people are mainly concerned about whether it meets their needs and expectations. A wide range of academic and vocational courses is already available to the age-group and local education authorities do well in responding to changing requirements. So far as financial support is concerned, I have no plans to change the present discretionary basis of local authority awards to young people in post-compulsory education.