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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1978
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IF THESE PROPOSALS ARE APPROVED, AND ADDED TO PLANS FOR EXPANSION IN JUNIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION AND FOR PRIMARY EDUCATION ALREADY APPROVED, RECURRENT EXPENDITURE ON EDUCATION AT 1978 PRICES MAY BE EXPECTED TO RISE FROM ABOUT $1,700 MILLION IN 1978/79 TO MORE THAN $2,900 MILLION IN 1986/87 AND TOTAL CAPITAL EXPENDITURE OVER THE SAME PERIOD WOULD BE $2,100 MILLION.
SIR MURRAY SAID THAT EDUCATION AFTER FORM, 3 WOULD BE HEAVILY SUBSIDISED BUT NOT FREE.
HE ADDED: +FEE REMISSION AND STUDENT LOAN SCHEMES WILL BE EXPANDED TO ENSURE THAT NO STUDENT JUDGED SUITABLE FOR THE WIDE VARIETY OF COURSES OFFERED SHOULD BE DENIED THEM THROUGH LACK OF MEANS.+
SIR MURRAY RECALLED THAT UNIVERSAL FREE AND COMPULSORY PRIMARY EDUCATION WAS ACHIEVED IN 1971.
+ALL PUPILS COMPLETING PRIMARY SCHOOL LAST SUMMER ARE NOW BEING PROVIDED WITH FREE SECONDARY EDUCATION PLACES TO FORM 3. BY NEXT SEPTEMBER WE SHALL BE MAKING EDUCATION COMPULSORY TO 14 AND BY SEPTEMBER 1980 WE WILL HAVE ACHIEVED OUR GOAL OF UNIVERSAL FREE AND COMPULSORY EDUCATION TO 15 OR FORM 3,+ HE SAID,
SIR MURRAY SAID TWO WORKING PARTIES WERE EXPECTED TO REPORT SHORTLY ON THE QUALITY OF PRIMARY EDUCATION AND ITS FUTURE DEVELOPMENT, AND THE SERVICES BELOW PRIMARY AGE AND KINDERGARTEN CENTRES.
THE RESULTING PROPOSALS BY THE WORK ING PARTIES WOULD BE PUBLISHED IN A GREEN PAPER.
+PLANS ARE THUS WELL UNDER WAY TO PREPARE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES FOR ALL STAGES OF EDUCATION FROM KINDERGARTENS TO THE TERTIARY LEVEL.
+WHILE THESE PROGRAMMES WILL LAY DOWN THE MAIN LINES OF ADVANCE, THERE SHOULD BE SCOPE FOR RE-EXAMINATION IN A WIDER CONTEXT.
+ACCORDINGLY, ON THE ADVICE OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, I PROPOSE TO INITIATE A WIDE-RANGING REVIEW THAT WOULD COVER THE WHOLE OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM, ITS METHODS AND ITS OBJECTIVES, + SIR MURRAY SAID.
IT WAS PROPOSED THAT THIS SHOULD BE CONDUCTED PRIMARILY BY PERSONS FROM ABROAD WITH GREAT EXPERTISE IN EDUCATION, THOUGH CERTAINLY WITH LOCAL PARTICIPATION.
+ I SEE THIS REVIEW AS A LONGER TERM DEVELOPMENT TO CHECK THE PLANS WE HAVE ALREADY MADE BEFORE THEY BECOME TOO DEEPLY ENTRENCHED, + SIR MURRAY STATED.
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