§ 32. Mr. Rentonasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he is satisfied that there is sufficient vocational training in secondary schools to enable non-academic young people obtain practical jobs.
§ Mr. William SheltonThe Government believe that schools should do all that they can to prepare their pupils for adult and working life, although it is not the schools' role to provide vocational training for specific jobs. My right hon. Friend has emphasised the case for a greater practical slant in the last years of compulsory education. Furthermore, the Government have recently published proposals for a new pre-vocational education qualification at 17 plus. These are designed to cater for those young people who wish to remain in full-time education but who have set their sights on employment rather than higher education, and have not yet formed a clear view of the kind of job they might tackle.