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Catalogue Reference:CAB/24/205
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(THIS DOCUMENT I S THE PROPERTY Off HIS BRITANNIC M A J E S T Y ^
GOVERNMENT) .
SECRET.
C A B I NE T.
C P . 2 0 4 (20.)
RAISING
the
SCHOOL
LEAVING
AGE.
HEElCRANDmi "by t h e PRESIDENT o f t h e BOARD OP EDUCATION.
It
is
a matter
Authorities
part
learing
years,
Education
without
this
announced
Local
of the time
and g r e a t
that
an
April
a t t h e end o f
essential
should
thing
have
April
that
1st
consider
means
that
emergency measure
resources
of Education
and a h a l f
evidenced
the difficulties
In considering
expecting
confusion
chosen
to
it
in the next.
the parliamentary
would
i n o u r own p a r t y .
i.e.
on
desired
My A d v i s e r s
serious
Education
and
The
Authorities
be p r a c t i c a b l e
o f accommodation
the
legislation
were u r g e n t l y
be a more
the Local
give
and
prepare.
the age e a r l i e r ,
d a t e would
of
are
and
of reducing unemployment.
and i n g e n u i t y
of
settled
and t h e announcement
to raise
would
next
be
That would
or e a r l y
51st, 1930, if
but i t
already
t h e change which i s u n i ­
the Local Education
the earlier
of the
cannot
the necessary
the anxiety
or August
are
to t h e Board
a^e.
a year
definite,
placate
the period
the
announcement.
session
would be p o s s i b l e
use t h i s
meet
this
the date
incidentally
It
is
Authorities
difficulty
the school
Authorities
this
to raise
1 s t , 1 9 3 1 , be t h e date
would be open t o u s t o p a s s
either
of
The D i r e c t o r s
raising
Education
Education
Education
t h e end o f
when we p r o p o s e
covering
from d e l a y i n g
for
and b e f o r e
These programmes
decision,
recommend
to Local
to be submitted
autumn.
expected.
immediate
I
to
Local
which have
would r e s u l t
It
age.
a knowledge
versally
an
the date
w o r k on t h e programmes
three
importance
t o know i m m e d i a t e l y
of the Session
sohool
at
of great
as
call
an
on t h e
Authorities
to
staffing.
question
of the
period
for
the
introduction
alleviating
(1)
age
factors
a one
Some
to
has
every
because
itself
b e e n no
of
in
this
the
of
14
the
age
are
from
as
the
the
need not
h e much
mere
are
the
anxious
districts.
some e x t e n t ,
of
age
feeling
it
about
the
though t h i s
traditional
commitment
and
of
time
opposition
Lancashire
an; a c c o m p a n i m e n t ,
as
Party
; There
Members
would he p o l i t i c a l l y
were passed
thiB
the Labour
among m a n y t e x t i l e
legislation
unpopularity
Ho d o u b t
in Yorkshire
as
the
early
is,
who
advantageous
as
possible
Parliament.
iB t h a t
at
school
in
numbers
lowest
in
of
the
pupils
age were
the
an e a r l y
next
three
during the
between 1 4
raised
1931
are
373,000
1933
393,000
1934
509,000
1935
580,000
1936
559,000
1937
504,000
therefore,
the
of
date
leaving
years
for
raising
school
owing
at
to
war.
and 1 5
who w o u l d
as follows
stay
­
452,000
1932
Educationally,
peak years
for
of c h i l d r e n
the b i r t h - r a t e
figures
if
the reason
the
their
decline
The
in
to
allowances
Educationally
the
Scotland,
erder
for England
textile
s p o k e n t o me t h a t
them i f
tiro
Bill.
outburst
a strong
to
for
administrative
the well-defined
to maintenance
have
necessary
required
the
raising
however,
by
clause
in
manifest
there
is
o f my c o l l e a g u e s
change
are
State.
The B i l l
than
will
of
there
i­
can be r a i s e d
(2)
the
legislation
No l e g i s l a t i o n
Secretary
of
of
it
1 9 3 4 , 1955,
would
1936,
be a m i s t a k e
to
wait
till
31
Whenever
considerable
Authorities
staffing
will
difficulties
in
for
need
to
of
teachers.
whenever
that
to
But
the
even
the
if
have
to
the
to
be g i v e n
Authority
to
to
is
the
the
areas will
remain
to
expedite
of
difficult
are
of
opinion
nost
of
the
selected.
of
item of
be on a f a i r l y
have
to
supply
cost
of
measures
Local
a larger
can b e met o v e r
date
is
award
the
A n d my a d v i s e r s
problems
as a right
is
difficult
t o "be
enlarged
Emergency
pre cure
to
expectations
will
and
liable
Education
pupil3.
cones.
;mtter
the Local
are
consultation with
considering
These w i l l
It
and
an e a r l y
important
there
t e m p o r a r y accomraedution,
t h e most
change
In
satisfy
facing
in
provide
schools,
raised
accommodation
"be t a k e n ,
generally
oountry
most
finding
is
the additional
Authorities,
building
the age
the
maintenance
liberal
our
c h a n g e ranch
scale
or whether
allowances..
if
members a n d o f
be d e c i d e d w h e t h e r
the local
the
they
are
parents.
allowances
are
Education
them in accordance w i t h
a
need
standard.
It
granting
of
will
also
allowances
have
shall
Local Education Authority.
doubtful
to
policy
corcpel
pay maintenance,
increased
I
to
financial
therefore
grant
case of
In
the
IJy own v i e w
the Local
that
50
following
the
can o o n o e i v e o u r b e i n g
the
per
grants
given as alternatives
I
decided whether
the
b e made a r e q u i r e m e n t
inducements
from
maintenance
be
to
that
to
it
to
75
of
would
get
be
then
scale.
Exchequer
per
cent,
in
the
14*
(Appendix)
possible
the
Authorities
offer
children over
lowest
on
adopt a l i b e r a l
estimates
able
to
proportion
cent,
to
is
Education
and p r o b a b l y w i s e r
recommend
be r a i s e d
to
I
have
maintenance
grant
through Parliament,
i.e*
32
5/- a week or
involved,
i.e,
£13 a y e a r
and t h e h i g h e s t
7/*- a w e e k o r
children.
All
be c a l c u l a t e d
it
school
the
saving
annually out
children
result.
estimated
good
reason
The
of
possibilities
the e d u c a t i o n a l
effect
the
of
but
it
cannot
for
supposing
that
the
at
year.
substituted
national
in b e n e f i t
and r e l i e f
year.
the
easily
cost
of
raising
to
set
against
relief
for
a
which
million
cannot be
p o s s i b l y be
indirectly
a
of
can
keeping h a l f
unemployed were
£4,500 ,000
contemplate,
and p o o r
labour market
must o b t a i n w o r k d u r i n g
saving
children
three-fourths
i n unemployment b e n e f i t
children
is
to
must a l w a y s b e remembered
to
There
for
the
figures..
considering
i s bound
accurately
likely
a year
intermediate
age i t
one-third of
we a r e
£18.4s.
from t h e s e
In
the
for
negligible.
least
If
only
them,
might be
300,000
100 000
8
the
estimated
at
APPENDIX.
Provisional
if
ISstimate
school
age were
A.
In
30/­
for
the
years
r a i s e d by one
JTHTAffCXAX Y5AR
the
first
1931-32,
year
year
the additional
s a p i t a t i o n g r a n t on i n c r e a s e d
average attendance of 229,000
cost
to
In
a higher
State
cost.
are
as
the
lower
figure
is
is
estimated
a l l borne
taxes but
by r a t e s
115,000
to
If
oost
by
received
of
"borne a s t o
£743,000 by
£538,000 by
taxes
rates
b o r n e "as t o
£1,122,000 by t a x e s
£ 27 4 , 0 0 0 ( n e t )
by rates
maintenance
given on the assumption
allowances
that
the
pay 7 5 p e r c e n t , and t h e r a t e s 25 p e r c e n t , o f t h e
1
33"" p e r c e n t , o f t h e a d d i t i o n a l n u m b e r s o n t h e r e g i s t e r s
3
five
shillings
a week the
£835,000
by taxes,
£278,000
If
cent,
cost
£8 7 8 , 0 0 0
be
borne as to
£35,000 by t a x e s
£80,000 by r a t e s
1,281,000
1,396,000
the
1931.
£
funds
estimating
April
1936-37
might
given
to
and
public
cost
£*
344,000
additional teachers ( i . e ,
those that are estimated as
l i k e l y to be a v a i l a b l e i n
1 9 3 1 - 3 2 ) a t £244 per t e a c h e r .
Total
from 1 s t
and
1931-32*
1 0 / ­ p e r u n i t f o r books and
stationery of
increased
average attendance of 229,000
5,250
1932*55'
will
be
75 per
£3,508,000
cost w i l l
by
are
£1,113,000
borne
rates.
given
borne as
be
to
seven
shillings
£2,630,000
by
a
week
taxes,
Toy r a t e s .
The G r a n d T o t a l s
for
1951-32 are
( a ) At t h e l o w e r f i g u r e o f
Maintenance Allowances
(b) At t h e h i g h e r f i g u r e s of
Maintenance Allowances
­
£2,509,000
u.
£4.90^,000
borne
as
tw
£ 1 , 9 57 ,000
by
taxes
£
by
rates
by
by
taxes
rates
552,000
borne
as
to
£3,752,000
£1,152,000
34
APPEITDDC
B.
FINANCIAL
the
second y e a r
In
to
grand
(COHTD. )
totals
YEAR
1932-35.
these
figures
are
£3^ 5 1 1 , 0 0 0
"by
taxes
£ 55Slfco,QO
by
rates
by
taxes
£1,484,000 by
rates
£6,862,000 b o r n e as
or
In t h e s e
hiring
into
additional
estimate
school
h a s b e e n made o f
places
either
any
cost
by building
which would n e c e s s i t a t e
FINANCIAL
In t h i s
able working
on
it
order
capital
to be
is
and
YEAH
assumed
detailed
or
by
inquiry
of
1955-37.
that
allowance
expenditure
Exclusive
estimated
no
conditions.
C.
charges
figures
accommodation^
local
rise
to
£5. 5 7 8 ,000
providing
to
of:­
£5,17?,000 b o r n e as t o .
of
estimated
must,
on
maintenance
be
in
reason­
b e made f o r
loan
accommodation.
allowances
the
figure
is
­
-""
to
: £1^514^000
£
Maintenance
the
scheme w i l l
therefore,
extra
£1,680,000 borne as
would b r i n g
the
total
taxes
166,000 b y r a t e s
allowances
grand
by
to
on t h e
two b a s e s
taken
above
­
£3,, 847^000 b o r n e a s t o
.
or
£ 5 , 1 3 9 . , 000
by
taxes
7 08 , 0 0 0 b y
rates
£8 5 0 5 , 0 0 0 b o r n e a s t o
"""""
^ £ 6 , 653^000 b y t a x e s
s
£1,872,000
N.B.,
If
it
corresponding
(a)
were
costs
decided
far
to
that
raise
year
At t h e l o w e r f i g u r e of
Maintenance Allowance
(b) At t h e h i g h e r f i g u r e of
Maintenance Allowances
by
the
rates
age
would be
£2,506,000
'
£5,091,000
on 1 s t
April
1930
the
­
borne as to
£ 1 , 9 1 9 , 0 0 0 by
£
5G7 ,000. b y
borne
as
taxes
rates
to
£4,003,000 by
£1,085,000 b y
taxes
rates