XN000022-1976-02-25 — Page 19

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1976

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MORE SECONDARY SCHOOL PLACES TO BE ALLOCATED

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FORM SUBSIDISED PLACES AVAILABLE FOR ALLOCATION BY MEANS OF THE SECONDARY SCHOOLS EXAMINATION IN SEPTEMBER 1976 WILL BE INCREASED TO SOME 67,300 ABOUT 18,800 MORE THAN THOSE AVAILABLE FOR ALLOCATION LAST SEPTEMBER.

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THIS WAS ONE OF THE PROVISIONS INCLUDED IN THE DRAFT ESTIMATES FOR EDUCATION IN 1976-77, ANNOUNCED BY THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE HON, PHILIP HADDON-CAVE, TODAY.

IN HIS BUDGET SPEECH, MR HADDON-CAVE SAID HIS INTENTION WOULD BE TO PROVIDE IN THE DRAFT ESTIMATES FOR 1977-78 AND 1978-79 FOR FURTHER INCREASES IN THE NUMBER OF SUBSIDISED FORM I PLACES SO AS TO PRODUCE A SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF SUCH PLACES IN SEPTEMBER 1978 FOR ALL PRIMARY 6 LEAVERS WANTING SECONDARY EDUCATION.

BUT. HE WARNED THAT A COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEM OF SUBSIDISED SECONDARY EDUCATION FOR ALL MUST BE EVENTUALLY ACCOMPANIED BY AN UPWARD REVISION OF FEES (WITH THE FEE REMISSION SYSTEM CONTINUING TO PROTECT THE POORER PARENTS).

IN ORDER TO MAKE AVAILABLE A SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF SUBSIDISED PLACES IN FORMS I OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS TO ACCOMMODATE ALL PRIMARY 6 LEAVERS WANTING SECONDARY EDUCATION, HE SAID, THE NUMBER OF FORMS 1 - 11 PLACES IN GOVERNMENT AND AIDED SCHOOLS WOULD HAVE TO BE INCREASED BY 74,400 FROM THE PRESENT 156,800 TO 231,200 IN SEPTEMBER 1978.

MR. HADDON-CAVE SAID: IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE SUCH A MASSIVE EXPANSION OVER A SHORT SPACE OF TIME, IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO RELY HEAVILY ON BUYING PLACES ALREADY EXISTING IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS.+

AT THE SAME TIME, HE SAID, IT WOULD BE NECESSARY TO EXHAUST THE POSSIBILITIES OF VOLUNTARY FLOATATION OF CLASSES IN EXISTING GOVERNMENT AND AIDED SCHOOLS, AND TO MAKE FULL USE OF AN EXTENDED DAY SYSTEM OF OPERATION.

+THESE MUST BE RECOGNISED AS TEMPORARY MEASURES WHICH, CONSISTENT WITH THE QUALITY OBJECTIVES OF THE WHITE PAPER, MUST EVENTUALLY BE REPLACED BY BUILDING AND EQUIPPING NEW SCHOOLS,+ HE ADDED. +PRECISELY WHEN THESE NEW SCHOOLS CAN BE BUILT AND EQUIPPED WILL DEPEND ON OUR ABILITY TO FIND THE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO MEET THE VERY SUBSTANTIAL COST OF DOING SO, HAVING REGARD TO COMPETING BIDS FOR OTHER SERVICES.+

THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY SAID THE DRAFT ESTIMATES FOR 1976-77 PROPOSED TO PROVIDE FOR A START ON 21 NEW SECONDARY SCHOOLS -- 10 SPONSORED AND 11 GOVERNMENT BUILT IN THE NEW TOWNS AND 12 WERE TO BE CREATED BY CONVERTING A NUMBER OF PRIMARY SCHOOLS,

/HE EXPECTED