TNAG-0280-FCO40-316-Visit-of-Parliamentary-under-Secretary-of-Foreign-and-Common-1970 — Page 11

devised, would make an order requiring the parents to

adhere to the arrangements.

8. Something of this kind, if it proves a starter, would provide us with all the essentials of a flexible com- pulsory system without the attendant disadvantages of more orthodox blanket logislation. I emphasize however that the idea has not yet been fully examined, and will need close study before it can be introduced.

9.

But in all educational matters it has to be constantly borne in mind that 50.7% of our population is under 21 years of age, and 37.9% under 15 years of age. The problem of providing for them all is therefore relatively many times more difficult than it is for the United Kingdom, whose systems have been built up over many decades but whose standards we nevertheless seek to emulate in a much shorbor time and for greater proportionate numbers.'

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