§ Mr. Frank Fieldasked the secretary of State for Wales how many young people in Wales at (a) the minimum school leaving age, (b) one year above and (c) two years above minimum school leaving age left school in 1985; and of these groups what is his best estimate of the number who (a) were eligible to leave at the end of the Easter term and (b) did leave at the end of the Easter term.
§ Mr. Wyn RobertsIt is provisionally estimated that 44,300 pupils left maintained and independent schools in Wales in 1984–85. Of these, 29,400 left in the year of attaining the minimum school leaving age, 6,100 left one year beyond the minimum school leaving age and 7,400 left two years beyond the minimum school leaving age.
It is estimated that about 18,000 of those attaining the minimum school leaving age in 1984–85 were eligible to leave at the end of the spring term, and that about 3,000 did so. Pupils over the minimum school leaving age may leave at any time.