HC Deb 21 October 1986 vol 102 cc763-4W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will estimate the cost of raising the school leaving age to 17 years; what would be the

England and Wales
Average salary of full-time teachers in maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools (excluding allowances) Average salary of full-time lecturers in further education (including allowances) University lecturers mid-point of lecturer scale(pt 13) Average non-manual earnings (M & F combined)
(i) Cash (ii) Constant price (Apr '86 base) (iii) Cash index (iv) Cash (v) Constant price (Apr '86 base) (vi) Cash index (vii) Cash (viii) Constant price (Apr '86 base) (ix) Cash index (x) Index
1975 3,790 11,310 100 5,190 15,480 100 5,620 16,770 100 100
1976 4,180 10,490 110 5,640 14,150 109 5,830 14,630 104 121
1977 4,410 9,420 116 5,920 12,650 114 6,400 13,680 114 132
1978 4,900 9,700 129 6,570 13,010 127 7,400 14,660 132 148
1979 5,390 9,690 142 7,240 13,020 139 8,600 15,470 153 166
1980 7,380 10,900 195 9,950 14,700 192 10,680 15,780 190 207
1981 8,030 10,590 212 10,740 14,160 207 11,000 14,500 196 240
1982 8,620 10,390 227 11,350 13,680 219 11,550 13,920 205 263
1983 9,120 10,570 241 11,930 13,820 230 12,080 14,000 215 287
1984 9,650 10,630 255 12,550 13,830 242 12,640 13,920 225 310
1985 10,390 10,710 274 *13,460 13,870 259 13,290 13,690 236 334
1986 *11,150 11,150 294 *14,200 14,200 274 — — — 359

Notes:

1. Average salaries for further education are not available for NAFE and AFE separately.

2. Average salaries for all university lecturers are not available and the salaries given in columns (vii) and (viii) are the median of the salary scales for lecturers and senior lecturers.

3. Constant prices [cols. (ii), (v) and (viii)] are the cash prices of the preceding columns adjusted by the RPI.

4. All cash figures are rounded to the nearest £10.

* Estimate.

increase in numbers attending schools; and what savings could be made in (a) unemployment pay, (b) other social security benefits, (c) public disbursements on work and other programmes and (d) other.

Mrs. Rumbold

The Government have no plans to raise the school leaving age to 17 years. However, the effect in 1987–88 of such a policy would be to add around 485,000 pupils to maintained school rolls. of these, some 130,000 would in other circumstances have been expected to participate in full-time further education, including YTS courses. A further 15,000 pupils might remain in non-maintained schools or transfer to the maintained sector. The net cost of introducing such a policy would depend on a complex range of factors, extending beyond those identified in the question. Its estimation would involve disproportionate cost.