§ 55. Mr. Hardyasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what further action he proposes to take to encourage young people to stay at school beyond the statutory leaving age.
§ Sir Keith JosephThe policies outlined in my speech at Sheffield last year are aimed at improving the quality of education offered by schools to pupils of all ages. These policies include improving the quality of the teaching force, seeking broad national agreement on the objectives of the school curriculum, introducing records of achievement and promoting better examination courses. The most effective encouragement to young people to remain in school after the period when attendance is compulsory is to ensure that what schools provide is relevant to pupils' needs and aspirations.