HC Deb 11 June 1985 vol 80 cc416-7W
Mr. Peter Bruinvels

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to include pre-vocational instruction in school curricula.

Mr. Dunn

The White Paper "Better Schools" (Cmnd. 9469) sets out the Government's view of the contribution that pre-vocational courses can make within the school curriculum. The technical and vocational education initiative is promoting a variety of pre-vocational programmes which for 14 to 16-year-olds form part of broad and balanced school curriculum. The Government have set up a working party, under the chairmanship of Mr. R. S. Johnson and serviced by the Secondary Examinations Council, to draft national criteria for pre-vocational and vocationally oriented examinations taken by pupils of statutory school age.